Father arrested for child abuse, bruising infant son

A Clark County man, Chester Perkins, 29, is accused of child abuse by bruising his 5-week-old son.

The infant's maternal grandparents alerted deputies to the possible abuse. They have custody of the boy, but had dropped him off with his parents for a visit. While there, Perkins, the child's father, told the mother that the child had been sleeping next to him but rolled off the bed.

The mother told her parents that the bruising on the baby didn't look to be consistent with a fall. She also said she suspected that the baby's father had shoved a pacifier into his mouth to keep him quiet.

The grandparents took the infant to Dayton Children's Hospital where doctors found bruising on his lip, arms, and shoulder.

Doctors said the bruising was consistent with someone holding the infant tightly and forcing the pacifier into the child's mouth.

Clark County Sheriff's office detectives are investigating the case.

Perkins was arrested on misdemeanor charges of child endangering, assault and felony domestic violence. He is in jail on a $5,000 cash bond and is awaiting the filing of formal charges.

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