Updated: 11/10/2009 7:49:08 PM
A Campbell County woman will appear before a grand jury in connection to the beating of her infant son.
Michelle Douglas is charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect. Investigators say she and her boyfriend fled the county after he badly beat her 22-month-old son, Peyton.
Tuesday afternoon Douglas waived her right to a preliminary hearing, but her attorney asked to have her $250,000 bond reduced. Prosecutors argued against the motion by presenting the judge with photos of Peyton Douglas' injuries.
The boy had a broken arm and bruises on his face, ear, arms, back, legs, and buttocks. He also had cigarette burns and previous skull and rib fractures that were healing.
The beating happened inside Douglas' Caryville home in June. Joseph Smith, her boyfriend and a soldier from Ft. Campbell, told investigators he was trying to punish Peyton for having an accident during a diaper changing. Afterwards, the couple took the boy to Montgomery County. Douglas told police she wanted to hide his injuries from her family members.
"(It's) always a concern when children are not immediately taken to the hospital and medical treatment is not assessed. Based on the exhibits that were introduced to the judge it is clear that that should have happened here," Assistant District Attorney General Scarlett Ellis said following the hearing.
The judge denied the defense's request for reduced bond. If convicted, Douglas could serve 15 to 25 years in jail.
Peyton Douglas is now living with a foster family.
The grand jury is scheduled to look at the case next month.
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A Fort Campbell soldier will appear before a grand jury after authorities say he badly beat a Campbell County infant.
Joseph Michael Smith is charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect. Police say he became upset with his girlfriend's 22-month-old son, prompting him to beat the boy and burn him with a cigarette as punishment.
The case against Smith was bound over following a preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Authorities say the abuse happened sometime between June 12 and 17 at Smith's girlfriend's home in Caryville. 22-year-old Michelle Douglas told investigators they took the infant to Montgomery County to try to hide her son's injuries from her family.
It was there that police were alerted to his condition.
Detective Damon Chestnut with the Clarksville Police Department interviewed Smith. Chestnut said Smith took responsibility for some of the boy's injuries.
He said Smith admitted to hitting the boy as punishment for having an accident during a diaper changing. Smith claimed he didn't hit the boy hard enough to cause the injuries.
The 22-month-old was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He had a broken arm, bruising on his face, ear, arms, back, legs, and buttocks. There were cigarette burns and previous skull and rib fractures that were healing.
Smith and Douglas each face a charge of child abuse and neglect in Montgomery County for not getting the boy treatment for his injuries. Douglas is in the Montgomery County jail. Smith is being held in the Campbell county on $250,00 bail for the aggravated child abuse and neglect charge.
The state has taken custody of the toddler. A spokesperson from the Department of Children Services said he is now living with a foster family.
