LEHI — A Lehi man was jailed last week for allegedly abusing his 3-year-old stepson.
Officers were called to an apartment Dec. 30 on a report of an unresponsive child. They found the boy naked on the floor with bruises all over his body, according to an affidavit filed in 4th District Court.
A doctor later told police the toddler had bleeding on his brain, the affidavit states.
The stepfather told officers the boy had fallen off the couch and hit an entertainment center. He explained the bruises by saying the child had fallen off his bed onto a train set, and said others could have been caused by the family dog or by picking the boy up, according to the affidavit, although medical personnel said the injuries were not consistent with those explanations.
The stepfather said he was watching a Utah Jazz game when he heard a smack and a cry and found the child on the floor.
The boy was naked when officers arrived because he had wet himself and his clothes needed to be changed, the man told police.
The child was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center and told ambulance personnel several times on the way that "Daddy hurt me," the affidavit states.
According to the affidavit, the child said his stepfather hit him on the face because he was angry with him, while the man told officers he had only hit him once back in August.
The child's mother, who was at work at the time of the incident, told police the man had also hit the boy on the head around Halloween.
Police said the child was released from the hospital over the weekend.
Jameson L. Reid, 24, was booked for investigation of child abuse. He was released after posting bail Monday.
— Paul Koepp