WILX.COM – Reporter: A.J. Hilton – Last Updated: 8:44 PM Sep 17, 2007
>> Father Charged with Sexual Abuse of 3-Month Old
“This is probably one of the worst cases of child abuse I’ve seen since I’ve been working for Blackman Township,” said Mike Jester, Blackman Township’s Public Safety Director.
27-year-old Kirk Coleman stood quietly in Chief Judge R. Darryl Mazur’s courtroom, facing first-degree charges of criminal sexual conduct and child abuse, patiently waiting for the Jackson County judge to set his bond.
The judge set bond at $100,000.
Coleman was living in the Spring Glen Apartments just days ago, working as a painter. That all changed Saturday. Coleman, the father of a three-month-old baby girl, along with her mother took their unresponsive child to Foote Hospital in Jackson. The child was later airlifted to the University of Michigan‘s Mott Hospital, and remains in critical condition.
“The injuries are quite extensive,” said Jester. “Very serious, such as broken ribs, skull fractures and so forth.”
Blackman Township Police started their investigation, and it didn’t take them long to start questioning Coleman as to what happened.
“We determined that he was the only one home,” said Jester. “Our detectives spoke with him and was able to get him to admit that he was responsible for the injury.”
The three month old is still unconscious, and needs a ventilator to breathe. Child protective services has also stepped in terminating parental rights, taking custody of the child. A child who’s life will never be the same.
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/9838321.html
Baby has 17 broken bones
mlive.com – By Steven Hepker – Wednesday, September 19, 2007
A Blackman Township baby clinging to life in an Ann Arbor hospital was beaten more severely than initially suspected, Blackman Township investigators said.
“She has three skull fractures, 11 broken ribs, both eye sockets are broken, she has two femur fractures and two tibia fractures — 17 broken bones,” Deputy Director Jon Johnston said.
“She could pull through but will have neurological deficits.”
The girl’s father, Kirk Coleman, 27, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree child abuse. His preliminary hearing is scheduled Tuesday in Jackson County District Court.
Coleman and the baby’s mother lived together at Springport Glen Apartments. The mother went back to work Thursday, leaving the baby with Coleman, Johnson said.
“We believe he beat her over two days,” Johnson said.
The baby was unconscious when she was taken to Foote Hospital at 8 a.m. Saturday. She was airlifted immediately to the University of Michigan Hospital.
She remains on a ventilator in critical but stable condition.
“Some of her injuries are much more severe than we thought,” Johnston said. Detective Chris Boulter got an update from doctors late Tuesday.
At his arraignment, Coleman said he was discharged from the Army in March 2006 and worked for a painting contractor in Jackson.
Child Protective Services severed parental rights over the weekend. Johnston said the mother has not been implicated.
http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/ind…180.xml&coll=3
Justice Be Served 