CLEARFIELD ? An Osceola Mills man accused of abusing his three-week-old ?Baby Lily? pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in Clearfield County Court. His case was scheduled to go to a four-day trial in December.
Aaron J. Mills, 33, pleaded guilty to four counts each of aggravated assault, F1, aggravated assault, F2, and simple assault, M2; two counts of aggravated indecent assault, F2; and one count each of conspiracy/endangering the welfare of children, F3, endangering the welfare of children, F3, recklessly endangering another person, M2; and possession of drug paraphernalia, M.
Mills accepted a plea agreement for a minimum of 15 years of incarceration; his maximum sentence will be determined by the court. Mills has not yet been sentenced in the case, according to a court employee.
In September Mills? co-defendant and girlfriend, Stephanie Diane McGuire, 23, accepted an open plea of guilt instead of taking her case to trial.
McGuire pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of children; conspiracy/endangering the welfare of children; simple assault; recklessly endangering another person; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
Because McGuire accepted an open plea of guilt, the terms of her incarceration will be completely up to the court.
In September, McGuire had also agreed to cooperate with the commonwealth and testify against Mills, if his case went to trial. Her sentencing was pending the fulfillment of her obligation to the commonwealth.
According to the affidavits of probable cause in the cases, on March 1, McGuire took her infant daughter to a doctor?s appointment to be examined for a diaper rash at Geisinger Medical Center, Philipsburg.
She was examined and diagnosed with bruising to her forehead, the tip of her nose and the left side of her abdomen. She had a severe diaper rash with a prolapsing rectum. The infant was transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center by ambulance.
The same day, she was transported to and admitted for treatment at the Geisinger Medical Center?s Children?s Hospital in Danville, Pa.
She was diagnosed with multiple areas of abrasions and excoriation over the face and flank of the right great toe; several bruises over the head, abdomen, right arm and legs bilaterally; excoriated and denuded perianal region with deep perianal furrows and anal prolapse; a left, fourth anterior rib facture; and bilateral, medial and lateral metaphyseal corner factures of the femurs.
In a phone interview with state police March 3, Paul J. Bellino, M.D., Geisinger Medical Center, stated that, ?This was the worst case of child abuse in an infant of this age that he has ever seen.?
In particular, the injury to the infant?s mouth and nose would have created an ?extreme? amount of blood loss and pain, Bellino told state police.
In a supplemental report, Bellino indicated the infant had suffered ?substantial pain and disfigurement? as a result of the diaper rash and lacerations to her anal area.
Bellino also said that the infant?s fractured femurs and broken rib would have been ?immediately symptomatic.?
According to state police interviews with Mills and McGuire, the infant was in their sole care at their residence on Edwards Street in Osceola Mills. Both stated that she wasn?t in the care of anyone else between Feb. 26 and March 1 when these injuries occurred to her.
Mills admitted to pulling the infant girl up off the changing table by her ankles forcefully and causing injuries to her legs while caring for her Feb. 26.
Mills also admitted to inserting a finger into the infant?s rear on two, separate occasions.
According to the affidavits, both Mills and McGuire failed to seek immediate medical treatment for the infant for her severe diaper rash and injuries.
A search warrant was obtained for Mills? and McGuire?s apartment. During the search, state police determined the apartment was very small, and any crying would have been heard throughout the rooms.
The search also uncovered drug paraphernalia, namely a pipe and grinder, and they were seized as evidence.
Additionally a search of a vehicle uncovered a garbage bag with three blankets, a pair of men?s boxer shorts, men?s long sleeve shirts, an infant outfit and a pink infant hat with blood stains on them, according to the affidavits.
