A Galion man could be facing more than eight years in prison after allegedly injuring an infant.
The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Alexander Michael Kasson, 23, of Galion, charging him with two counts of endangering children.
According to court documents, in April, the five-week-old child was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. The baby was diagnosed with a fractured wrist and a fractured femur.
“Those injuries, fractures, are unusual for a child that is five weeks old,” said Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips.
The man talked to physicians, but his version of what happened was, “inconsistent with the injuries,” Phillips said.
The prosecutor said he could not go into the details of the incident that court documents allege happened over a two-day period, but he said investigators determined Kasson had lost his temper and was “allegedly treating the child too roughly.”
“I am not going to say it was an intentional act necessarily,” Phillips said.
He explained that if investigators believed and could prove the injuries were intentional, the man would have been charged with felonious assault. He said the endangering children charge reflects that Kasson allegedly, “violated a duty of care.”
If convicted on both charges, Kasson could face as many as eight years in prison.
Also indicted was:
– Kristen A. Freeman, 40, of 10260 Route 4, Irwin. Freeman is charged with one count of domestic violence.
According to court documents, on Sept. 2, an Irwin woman called the Union County Sheriff’s Office to report she had been assaulted and injured by a relative. The woman told investigators Freeman lives with her. She said Freeman hit her, knocking her down, then slapped and hit her. The woman had bruises on her face and arm from the incident according to police.
“This act of abuse was not the first,” according to court documents. “(The victim) stated Kristen has been abusive in the past, but it went unreported.”
Police noted a large bruise on the woman’s arm from an alleged assault two weeks earlier.
According to court documents, Freeman told the victim, “that if she called law enforcement, she would live to regret it.”
Typically, domestic violence is charged as a misdemeanor, however once someone has a domestic violence conviction, future allegations can be charged as felonies. Freeman was convicted of domestic violence in 2011.
If convicted, Freeman could face as many as 18 months in prison.
– Corey Jamal Campbell, 32, of Columbus. Campbell is charged with one count of violating a protection order.
According to court documents, on Sept. 15, Campbell was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over as part of a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle had requested and received a protection order against Campbell, based on his past actions and threats against the woman.
“There is no indication she was there by force,” Phillips said.
He added that whether she wanted him there or not, “isn’t really relevant.”
Phillips explained that a protection order, while it is requested by an individual, is issued by a judge. The court is the only one that can lift the order.
“There is nothing in the law that allows the protected person to allow the other person to violate the order,” Phillips said. “If it is going to be dropped, it has to be dropped by the court.”
He explained that protects the victim from being intimidated or threatened into dropping the order and being further victimized by the other person.
If convicted, Campbell could face as many as 12 months in prison.