A 9-month-old baby in West Virginia has died from a sexual assault. The alleged attacker, 32-year-old Benjamin Taylor, is currently in jail after being found in the apartment with the dead baby in the basement.
The Jackson County officials say it’s the worst case of sexual assault they have seen. He was found in the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, who is the mother of the child. The baby was found unresponsive and covered in blood.
When the baby was found on Monday, she was unresponsive and diagnosed brain-dead. When the mother came home, the baby was found naked in the basement, and the lights were off. When he was arrested, Taylor said that he took the baby downstairs while he did laundry. When asked about the child’s injuries, he said he “blacked out” and didn’t remember.
He changed his story multiple times. Deputies noticed that Taylor kept trying to rub something off of himself. After the baby was taken to the hospital, deputies issued warrants for Taylor’s DNA and clothing. Taylor had blood on his body that was believed to be from the child.
Sherriff Tony Boggs said:
“The charges will be upgraded as soon as possible. I don’t know if that will be tonight yet or in the morning. But Mr. Taylor will be charged with felony murder sooner (rather) than later.”
“… I don’t know of any normal human that could fathom what would possess somebody to do that.”
“… This investigation is ongoing, but as far as his past and what she did or didn’t know, he didn’t have anything obviously of this nature in his past, or he wouldn’t have been out (of jail) period.”
Taylor is now facing murder charges on top of the first-degree sexual assault charge since the child is dead. He does have some kind of arrest record, but the police don’t know what the motive was for the attack on the child. He is in jail on a $2 million bond.
Featured image via YouTube screenshot.
