Dad accused of severely assaulting 5-month-old daughter incriminates himself on Facebook (Norwalk, Connecticut)

Dad is identified as PAUL NIKOLIS.

http://www.thehour.com/story/514023/police-father-of-beaten-infant-incriminated-self-on-facebook

Police: Father of beaten infant incriminated self on Facebook
By STEVE KOBAK Hour Staff Writer
Posted on 11/04/2011

NORWALK-- A local father accused of severely assaulting his 5-month-old daughter incriminated himself through Facebook postings and letters to his imprisoned beau, according to an affidavit released Friday.

Paul Nikolis, 27, of 5 Avenue E, wrote a guilt-ridden letter to his girlfriend Jamie Lane days after her arrest for the alleged abuse of the couple's 5-month-old daughter, and he proclaimed her innocence in a posting on her Facebook page, the affidavit alleges.

Nikolis was arraigned Friday at Norwalk Superior Court on charges of first-degree assault and risk of injury to a minor. He is being held on $100,000 bond, and his case was transfered to the Part A docket at Stamford Superior Court, where more serious cases are tried.

Lane was arrested on Sept. 29 and is currently incarcerated at the York Correctional Institute in Niantic on $75,000 bond for her role in the severe abuse of the baby girl. Lane's attorney Howard Ehring has filed a motion to modify her bond, and the motion will be argued on Nov. 14.

The Youth Bureau began investigating the abuse on Sept. 25 after Lane's parents admitted the child to Norwalk Hospital due to bruising on the child's face, according to an affidavit.

Doctors soon discovered that the child had seven broken ribs, a fractured skull, a fractured arm and a partially collapsed right lung, police said.

The fractures were in various stages of healing, indicating that the child had sustained some of the injuries weeks or months before she was admitted to the hospital, police said.

Detective Rafael Fonseca interviewed Lane after police received the initial child abuse report, and Lane admitted to squeezing the baby on a few occasions out of anger, according to an affidavit. Lane said her mother noticed bruising on the baby and told Lane to get help for the baby, but Lane did not do so, according to police.

Nikolis had told police that he began noticing bruises on the child's face two months prior to the child's hospital admission, police said. Nikolis claimed that when he confronted Lane about the bruising, Lane said the child did it to herself, police said. Nikolis said as time went on, he noticed more bruising on the baby, and Lane could not explain why the baby was injured, police said.

A few days after Lane's arrest, Nikolis posted on Facebook that Lane "did nothing. She got blamed for (expletive) she didn't do," the affidavit alleges.

Soon after, Nikolis wrote a letter to her, stating: "It's not right for me to let you sit in jail ... When you talk to your parents (sic) please don't tell them the truth, they can find out on there (sic) own when I turn myself in," according to the affidavit.

Nikolis also writes, "I seriously promise when I see you again that I will never hurt you or the baby again," court documents show.

Ehring told The Hour on Friday that the letter helps his client's case, because it shows that Nikolis was abusive toward her.

"Not only was the baby subject to abuse, but Ms. Lane was, too," he said. "I will say it looks like an abusive relationship all the way around."

Norwalk Police obtained a warrant for Nikolis' arrest on Thursday, and he was arrested later that day in Bridgeport.