A Union father is facing multiple charges after allegedly physically assaulting his three-month-old child, according to court documents.
Last week, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Matthew Becker filed charges against Samuel N. Moore, 31. The charges include one count of child abuse, one count of child abandonment and one count of resisting arrest. All but the resisting arrest charges are felonies. The resisting arrest charge is a misdemeanor.
The charges stem from March 12 when Union police officers were dispatched to a home in the 700 block of South Oak Street.
At the home, they found Moore, an unidentified woman and a three-month-old child.
The woman told police that she left the home for an hour to go to a nearby gas station and that both Moore and the child were asleep when she left. While she was gone, police allege that Moore “knowingly and willingly assaulted (the child) which caused serious physical injury to (the child).”
A medical examination later revealed that the child had “several lacerations to his face, a fractured skull on his right side, and a fractured left leg femur,” according to court records.
Police also allege that, after putting the child back in the crib, Moore left the home. By leaving the injured child, police say that Moore created a “substantial risk” that the child could have experienced more serious injuries or died.
When the woman returned home, she found the child in its crib and called Moore.
Moore reportedly told the woman that he had assaulted the child because he was angry that she had left him alone with the child. At this time, the woman texted her mother and asked her to call police.
When investigators arrived at the home and found that Moore was “extremely intoxicated.” Moore attempted to drink more alcohol while being interviewed by police.
At one point, Moore “aggressively” grabbed an officer by the arm and refused to let go. Moore then put his hands on the officer’s waist and chest. The officer did not sustain any injuries while they attempted to arrest Moore.
Moore, who was taken into custody at the home, remains in custody. He is not eligible for bond, according to court documents.
Moore appeared before Associate Circuit Court Judge Matthew Houston on March 15 and March 20 via video teleconference. He was arraigned on March 15 and ordered to seek legal counsel. On March 20, he sought a bond reduction, which was denied. A preliminary hearing in this case is scheduled for April 13.
This is not the first time that Moore has faced legal trouble.
In 2019, he was charged with two counts of second-degree domestic assault. In June 2021, he plead guilty to those charges and received five years of supervised probation. In March 2022, prosecutors sought to revoke his probation after receiving multiple reports that he had violated the terms of his probation. Revoking his probation stalled in October 2022 after Moore failed to attend a court hearing. No new court dates have been scheduled for this case.
Among the alleged violations, are that Moore failed to pay restitution and that he was arrested in December 2021. He was later charged with fourth-degree domestic assault and resisting arrest. Those charges are misdemeanors. A hearing in that case is scheduled for April 6.
He has also been charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash, driving while intoxicated and other traffic offenses. This case is ongoing.
