"Caretaking" dad charged with abusing 5-week-old daughter (Butler, Tennessee)

Yet another case where Daddy was doing child "care" while Mom was working--even though the baby was still a newborn. This is one reason we need paid maternity leaves in this country--so moms aren't forced to use unemployed/underemployed goons for babysitters...

Dad is identified as MATHEW CLEMONS. 


http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=107100#axzz2Sk5hvYYg


Butler father charged with abuse of infant daughter

Published May 8, 2013
By Staff Report - JohnsonCityPress.com

A Butler father has been indicted for injuring his child back in March.

According to a news release from the Elizabethton Police Department, Mathew Clemons, 29, 106 Cable Hollow Road, Butler, was charged with aggravated child abuse/neglect stemming from an incident March 13.

Clemons began watching his five-week-old daughter at 3 p.m. that day after her mother left for work. 

Around 6 p.m. Clemons called 911 reporting his daughter was having trouble breathing.

Elizabethton police and the Department of Children's Services began investigating the incident at Niswonger Children's Hospital on March 14.

The child was later taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where it was discovered she had life-threatening injuries that were "indicative of inflicted injury," according to the news release. 

Investigators continued compiling evidence and these findings were presented to a grand jury this past Thursday. Grand jurors returned a true bill indicting Clemons.

He was taken Tuesday to the Carter County Detention Center, where he was being held on $100,000 bond.

Clemons will appear at the next available Criminal Court date.