An 18-year-old was arrested Thursday night on charges he abused his infant baby girl.
Joseph Kulp, of 120 Grove St., Exeter, was arraigned on counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of children, according to court records.
Kulp was jailed at Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.
Borough police allege in arrest papers that Kulp struck, grabbed and squeezed his 9-week-old daughter’s head, causing major injuries at his Exeter home on Thursday.
Police did not indicate the baby’s condition or whether she was still hospitalized.
According to the criminal complaint:
Around 1:30 p.m., police received a call from a 911 dispatcher to contact Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre in reference to an injured baby in the emergency room.
The baby’s mother, Nicole Norvell, told hospital staff that the child was in care of the father, Kulp, when the injuries occurred, according to the complaint. The baby was treated for injuries to her face and head.
Norvell told staff that the baby fell out of a swing approximately 6 inches from the ground.
A doctor told police the mother’s account of what happened was not consistent with the child’s injuries.
Kulp attempted to mislead police about what happened while being interviewed at the police station later that evening, police said. He then demonstrated to police how he held the baby’s head between his forearm and bicep, according to the complaint.
The baby would not stop crying, according to Kulp, who said he began to squeeze the child’s head and then struck her twice in the face, the complaint states.
A preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for March 25 in Central Court.
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