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A Gettysburg man faces serious criminal charges after he allegedly slapped his 5-year-old daughter hard enough to leave bruises on her face and thigh, according to local police.
Brandon Newcomb, 25, was charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children following an incident that occurred on Friday (December 12) of last year. According to Gettysburg police, Newcomb slapped his daughter in the thigh and face, leaving visible finger marks on the side of her face.
A witness inside the home told investigators that Newcomb had placed his daughter in "timeout" and was intoxicated at the time. The child later told police that her father hit her and that "it hurt too much."
A pediatric doctor reviewed the girl's injuries and concluded the bruising was the result of serious physical force. "The bruises represent blunt force injury to the skin that caused the blood vessel underneath to rupture," the doctor stated in an affidavit of probable cause. The doctor added, "[The bruises] would have been painful at the time they occurred and for some period of time thereafter," and confirmed that "[the child's] bruising is consistent with child physical abuse."
Newcomb was charged in Adams County, Pennsylvania, and is currently awaiting his preliminary hearing.