LANCASTER, PA — A Lititz man received a prison sentence of 5 ¾ to 12 years on Tuesday for abusing a 3-year-old child, resulting in a broken femur. Timofey Freint, 30, pleaded guilty in March to aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, and related charges.
The abuse left the child with bruises on his face, head, chest, arms, and legs. The victim also suffered internal injuries to his liver and adrenal gland, as well as muscle damage. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa described this case as the worst child abuse she had seen in her decade-long career. She asked for a sentence starting at 6 ½ years.
Freint moved in with the victim’s mother two months before the incident. The abuse began shortly after. Ponessa stated an expert believed the child could have died if the abuse continued.
Defense counsel requested the mandatory minimum sentence of five years, arguing Freint only caused the broken femur. However, Lancaster County Judge Merrill Spahn imposed a longer sentence, emphasizing the severity of the abuse.
The investigation began on June 9, 2022, after Pennsylvania State Police responded to Hershey Medical Center’s report of suspected child abuse. A doctor noted the child’s injuries were consistent with being “slammed” and described the assault as “excessive and repeated.”
Freint claimed the child fell off the couch, but police and medical evidence contradicted his story. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Manuel Cabrera filed the charges.
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