"Caretaking" dad abuses 1-month-old baby while mom at work; baby suffered spiral fractures in both legs (Morgantown, North Carolina)

Why we need paid maternity leave for all mothers. Partly so moms aren't forced back into the workplace too early and forced to leave their vulnerable babies with deadbeat abusive fathers with zero patience or nurturing skills.

Dad is identified as AUSTIN DEAN DELOATCH.

http://www.morganton.com/news/man-pleads-guilty-to-child-abuse/article_f1ef27d2-2cca-11e5-996f-7bca26375222.html

Man pleads guilty to child abuse

Posted: Friday, July 17, 2015 5:30 pm
From staff reports

A 20-year-old Morganton man will spend five to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child abuse.

Austin Dean DeLoatch entered the plea to a charge of felony child abuse inflicting serious injury during Burke County Superior Court on Tuesday and was sentenced to serve active time in custody of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections by Robert C. Ervin, Superior Court Judge from Burke County.

On Oct. 24, 2014, investigator Ryan Stotts of the Morganton Department of Public Safety responded to Grace Hospital for a report of a 1-month-old male child that had spiral fractures of both legs.

Investigation into the matter revealed that the child’s mother was at work when the crime occurred, and the child was fine at that time she left the home. DeLoatch, who is the child’s father, had been alone providing care for the child when the abuse took place and contacted the mother because the child would not stop crying.

They eventually took the child to the hospital for evaluation where it was determined the baby had a broken leg. Further evaluation at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte and Mission Hospital in Asheville revealed the infant had two broken legs along with other injuries. Doctors who treated the child at Levine and Mission indicated that the injuries to the child were consistent with a twisting of the legs and were highly unlikely to be accidental, noting they appeared to be the result of physical abuse.

Stotts was the lead investigator for the case and was aided in his investigation by Burke County Department of Social Services. Frank Webster handled prosecution for the District Attorney’s Office.