CLEARFIELD – An Osceola Mills woman was sentenced to a minimum of two years in state prison Tuesday for endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the injuries of her three-week-old child.
In March last year, Aaron Mills, 33, and the girl’s mother, Stephanie McGuire, 23, were both charged by state police after the girl was taken to a doctor for a severe diaper rash.
It was discovered that both of the girl’s legs were broken. She had abrasions on her face, a tear inside her mouth between her gums and nose along with a cracked rib, and tears in her rectum, according to information at the preliminary hearing.
McGuire pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child, criminal conspiracy, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of drug paraphernalia on Tuesday.
Judge Paul Cherry gave her a total sentence of two to seven years in state prison followed by three years probation.
Leanne Nedza, attorney for McGuire, told Cherry prior to sentencing, that McGuire has not had a chance to explain what happened from her view point.
Nedza went on to say that McGuire actually took the child to the doctor four times after the baby was born.
Each time it was because she was not eating properly while suffering from diarrhea and vomiting and a severe diaper rash.
One doctor even referred to the child’s bottom as “excoriate,” Nedza said, adding that this is a severe scraping of the skin.
None of these doctors prescribed anything or gave her any other direction for treatment except for suggesting she use Vaseline.
“She trusted these professionals and they let her down,” she said.
The night before the injuries were discovered, Nedza said that McGuire was able to sleep for the first time in weeks while Mills watched the child.
When she woke up and saw the baby was worse, she took the child along with her to a doctor’s appointment. This doctor noticed the injuries.
The child was taken to a local hospital and then sent on to the Geisinger Medical Center, Children’s Hospital in Danville where she was treated.
Nedza noted that McGuire has been waiting in jail for 13 months now and has not seen her child since she was taken to the hospital.
“The person responsible for this is Aaron and the doctors who didn’t treat the baby,” she said, and then asked Cherry for a county sentence.
Cherry pointed out to Nedza that while defending her client, Nedza didn’t mention the child’s broken legs or other injuries, which would have caused the baby severe pain.
The doctor at Geisinger in Danville “said it was the worst case of child abuse he had seen,” Cherry said.
He also noted that McGuire pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy, which “takes two people.”
Assistant District Attorney Jendi Schwab, who was representing the commonwealth, commented that because McGuire signed the plea agreement, she is taking the responsibility for the actions described in the affidavit of probable cause.
Mills was sentenced in February to 15 to 40 years in state prison.
