A Pennsylvania man is accused of raping his own 10-month-old daughter over the weekend, searching the web “How do you know if a baby is dead” before calling 911, authorities said.
Austin Stevens, 29, is facing charges for aggravated sexual assault, rape of a child, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, and other criminal cases after the death of his daughter Zara Scruggs.
According to reports, responders checked on Austin’s house after receiving a call about an unresponsive baby in Lower Providence Township, Montgomery County.
Upon arrival at their home, medical officers immediately conducted CPR to Zara and brought her to a hospital.
She was declared dead after two hours, according to police report.
The 29-year-old father even ‘googled’ for nearly an hour before calling 911 to get help for Zara. When the police searched his phone, they found that he typed in multiple searches including “If baby stops breathing,” “What if you don’t hear baby heart or beat,” “My baby isn’t breathing,” and “How do you know if a baby is dead?”
The suspect also shared photos and messages to other women, appearing to be neglecting the situation of his dying daughter.
“The diaper was saturated with blood,” investigators said in a press release.
The baby sustained anal trauma and head injury according to the investigation.
“This is case is deeply disturbing. It is hard to imagine this child’s death being any more traumatic: sexual assault on an infant, followed by inaction by the father to save her life, led to her death,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said.
The suspect is now detained in the county jail and has a $1million (PHP48 million) bail.
A trial has been set on October 13.
