Hampton, Va. - The new child abuse case against a Hampton man who was previously convicted of child abuse is moving forward.
Authorities said David Curtis Patton abused his infant daughter in May, leaving the girl with internal bleeding around her brain. Patton's arrest on these charges come not long after he was released from a five-year prison sentence for shaking his infant son Jared. The boy died of his injuries in 2009 at the age of three.
In the current Hampton case, Patton told police the family dog slammed into his daughter's bouncer in May. He said it caused the bouncer to roll over several times. Patton and the girl's mother said the infant started vomiting for days. They took her to several hospitals before CHKD alerted authorities.
"She had blood encircling her brain on both sides of her brain," said child abuse pediatrician Michelle Clayton who testified that the baby's injuries did not match Patton's account of what happened.
"[Her symptoms] are caused by violent, severe forces," said Clayton. "Rolling over in a chair would not cause the requisite severity. Children fall from a bouncy seat quite often and yet don't sustain the brain injury."
A Hampton detective testified that Patton was very concerned about his daughter when they questioned him, but he didn't believe the story either.
Patton's attorney argued that detectives didn't question everyone who may have come into contact with the baby girl, but the judge said the Commonwealth had very compelling evidence. The judge certified the case to the grand jury, which puts Patton a step closer to trial.
"I would like to see Curtis David Patton in jail for the rest of his life where there are no children," said Steve Stowe, Jared's maternal grandfather. "The guy's a monster. That's how I feel about him."
Patton has maintained his story. The girl's mother reportedly believes him, and is still in a relationship with Patton.
Dr. Clayton testified that the girl is okay now, but it could be years before the effects of her injuries come to light.
