James Collins, 35, pleaded guilty to a 15-count indictment in connection to the reported abuse of a 3-year-old girl.
Collins was accused of abusing the 3-year-old daughter of her boyfriend and co-defendant in the case, David Hickin, 35. Authorities were alerted to the abuse Sept. 24, 2016, when the child was brought to the emergency room for a broken arm and numerous bruises and marks were observed “covering her facial area, ears, nose, legs and pelvic area,” court documents said. The child was also missing patches of hair on her head.
The child began living with Collins and Hickin, along with Collins’ two juvenile daughters, after Hickin was awarded custody of his daughter.
The date the abuse was reported, Collins told police she had given the 3-year-old a bath and the child had started to “throw a tantrum.” Collins said she then spanked the child with her hand, but when it was pointed out the marks on the child’s legs were not made by a hand, she admitted she used a large plastic spoon and that it was “excessive,” and she “felt bad about it,” court documents said.
Collins told police that shortly after the spanking, the 3-year-old had fallen down the stairs and she had not realized the child was injured until they were watching television. Collins said she “felt something weird in (the child’s) arm and knew something was wrong.”
In 2017 the daughters of Collins reported to their aunt and law guardian that they had both witnessed Collins abuse the 3-year-old and they had been ordered by their mother to participate in the abuse, court documents said.
One of the daughters said she had seen Collins push the 3-year-old down the stairs about five times, as well as slap, punch, push and pull the child by the hair. She also told investigators she saw Collins hold the 3-year-old’s head under water.
The other daughter told investigators she also witnessed Collins push the 3-year-old down the stairs. She also said Collins would tell her to smack the 3-year-old and put her in the corner. The daughter also said she saw Collins pull the child’s hair, push her down and make her stand in the corner doing “uncomfortable squats,” court documents said.
Hickin was indicted on charges of felonious assault, endangering children and domestic violence. His case is still pending.