Jaliyah Ramos
April 30, 2020
Florida girl, 2, near death after beating, sexual abuse
By Tiffini Theisen
Orlando Sentinel
A Florida toddler was near death after being beaten and sexually abused, and her caregiver was charged, deputies said Thursday.
Nicholas Stephen Canfield, 25, was attempting lifesaving measures on the victim, a 2-year-old girl, when deputies responded to a call in North Fort Myers on Wednesday, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said.
Canfield has been charged with capital sexual battery (victim under the age of 12) and aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony.
A medical exam of the girl found “indications of recent sexual abuse, as well as fresh bruises, swelling and other forms of physical trauma,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The girl, who was unresponsive when authorities arrived after Wednesday’s call, was immediately taken to a local hospital and placed in its pediatric intensive care unit.
“Only the lowest form of life would do this to a child,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement posted to the department’s Facebook page. “I will do everything in my power to make sure that this predator never has an opportunity to abuse anyone again.”
As of Thursday, the girl was in critical condition with “an extremely poor prognosis."
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...mtq-story.html
Bookmarks