A Jacksonville man has been charged with aggravated child abuse after police say he admitted to repeatedly squeezing a 4-month-old infant's ribs in an attempt to relieve gas, causing the baby to suffer 25 bone fractures.
Background
Anthony Hildreth, 31, was watching the infant on the night of June 30 when the child began crying, according to an arrest report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Hildreth told investigators he had been placed in care of the child that evening and became frustrated after being unable to soothe the infant.
"Anthony advised that [the child] was crying and he became frustrated by that," the sheriff's office stated in the arrest report.
A woman who had watched the baby during the day told police the child appeared normal and uninjured, though she noted the infant had been gassy earlier, according to court documents.
The Investigation
According to investigators, Hildreth admitted to using multiple techniques throughout the night in an attempt to relieve what he believed was gas pain. "One of these techniques included squeezing the ribs starting from light pressure to more pressure until he passed gas," the arrest report states. He also told police he performed 'bicycle kicks' on the infant—pushing the child's legs toward his chest.
Hildreth later noticed the baby's breathing had become abnormal, the report says. Around 3 a.m., the woman at the home woke to the sound of the infant crying. Hildreth then informed her he was concerned about the child's breathing and acknowledged he could have caused rib fractures from the pressure he applied near the ribs.
The child was taken to a local hospital where medical staff documented 24 fractures to the baby's ribs along with a fracture to his right femur near the knee—a total of 25 bone injuries, according to police records.
"Anthony was unsure of how the fracture to the femur was caused," the arrest report states. "Anthony stated [the child's] leg got stuck in the swaddling device unknowingly and he did not notice until he pulled harder on the swaddling device."
The Charges
Hildreth has been charged with aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony in Florida. He was released on a $50,003 bond and placed under home detention with electronic monitoring pending further court proceedings. According to court records, Hildreth has entered a plea of not guilty.
Key Takeaways
- Anthony Hildreth, 31, admitted to squeezing the infant's ribs with "light pressure to more pressure" after becoming frustrated with the baby's crying
- Medical staff at a Jacksonville hospital documented 24 rib fractures and one femur fracture—25 total bone injuries on the 4-month-old
- Hildreth claimed he did not know how the femur was injured, telling police his child's leg became stuck in a swaddling device
- He has been released on $50,003 bond with electronic monitoring and has entered a plea of not guilty to aggravated child abuse charges
What's Next
Hildreth is awaiting further court proceedings on the aggravated child abuse charge. The case remains under investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and prosecutors have not yet indicated whether additional charges may be filed related to the severity of the infant's injuries.