Halethorpe Man Charged With Child Abuse, Sex Offenses After 17-Month-Old Girl Suffers Severe Injuries
CONTENT WARNING: This story contains disturbing details involving alleged abuse of a young child. Some readers may find the content difficult to read.
Baltimore County Police have charged a Halethorpe man with first-degree child abuse and sex offenses after a 17-month-old girl in his care suffered severe gynecological injuries.
Police began investigating Jerimiah Thomas Jones Jr., 22, in July after learning about a pediatric patient at a local hospital who was experiencing uncontrolled vaginal bleeding.
The child suffered tears to tissue around and inside her vagina, according to charging documents. A surgeon who examined the girl told police that one injury went completely through the vaginal wall and into the area behind the abdominal cavity, causing internal bleeding, according to court records.
Calling the girl’s injuries “absolutely horrific,” Assistant State’s Attorney Kayla York said at an Aug. 26 bail hearing that a veteran SAFE nurse told her they were the most severe she had encountered, according to an audio transcript.
“The SAFE nurse started the phone call with saying in her 16 years of being a SAFE nurse, that is the worst injury she has ever seen on a patient,” York said.
A SAFE nurse is a registered nurse specially trained to examine sexual assault patients, document injuries and collect forensic evidence.
York said the nurse told her the child’s injury could have been fatal had there been a delay in medical treatment. The girl’s blood loss was so severe that she needed a transfusion, York said.
Jones told investigators he lost his footing while changing the child’s diaper and must have accidentally injured her with his hand. A representative of GBMC’s Child Protection Program told police that Jones’ explanation did not account for the severity of the child’s injuries.
Jones is charged with first-degree child abuse causing severe physical injury, second-degree child abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree rape of a helpless individual. He faces a potential maximum of 85 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Jones was with the girl and two older children at a home on North Twin Circle Way when the injury occurred July 13, according to police. Charging documents say Jones told investigators an older child was leaning over his shoulder as he was changing the child’s diaper on a bed. He said he lost his balance and must have accidentally inserted his finger into her vagina when he fell forward.
The girl’s mother was not home at the time, according to police records. Charging documents say Jones panicked after discovering the girl's bleeding and called the child's mother.
York told the judge that the county Department of Social Services placed the mother and children in a hotel for their safety during the investigation. Police later discovered Jones in the hotel room with them, she said.
An arrest warrant was issued Aug. 24, and Jones was arrested the following day.
A public defender told District Court Judge Karen Pilarski that Jones works at a Royal Farms store and is the sole financial support for the household. However, charging documents say Jones told police the child's mother was at work when the injury happened.
Jones has no adult criminal record, and York said he had prior contact with the juvenile justice system.
“He is a victim safety risk. He is a risk to public safety and he isn't going to listen to anything the court orders if he's released,” York said.
Pilarski ordered Jones held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 18.