A Pennsylvania cop and military veteran has been accused of raping a 13-month-old girl and blaming the infant’s injuries on the family dog.
Steven Kyle Cugini, 28, has been suspended by the York City Police Department after being arrested on rape and aggravated assault charges on Tuesday, the Daily Voice reported.
Cugini, who previously served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, turned himself in after staff at the Halifax YMCA Daycare reported injuries on the infant on Monday, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
The daycare workers contacted the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) after the child’s mother gave inconclusive responses on how her daughter got bruises on her face and legs, a probable cause affidavit states.
That’s when the PSP’s Lykens Criminal Investigation Unit hopped on the case and uncovered highly disturbing details.
Upon examining the baby, a doctor alerted troopers to a broken tibia and fibula, bruising to the face, ears, left foot, ankle, and butt, and “significant injuries” to the genitals.
When police interviewed Cugini, he allegedly blamed the girl’s extensive injuries on several factors — diaper rash, a fall, and an incident involving the family dog.
The baby’s mother, who is presumably in a relationship with Cugini, initially backed up these claims to the police but then admitted otherwise.
According to the affidavit, investigators found text messages between the couple that showed the mother confronting Cugini about the bruises after she had allowed him to bathe her daughter while she was making dinner on April 13.
Cugini allegedly locked the bathroom door, saying it was to keep the woman’s five-year-old son out.
However, the mom said she heard her daughter “cry very loudly” as well as “repeated pounding” noises coming from the room during the supposed bath.
“When she knocked the door it allegedly took 10 seconds for Cugini to answer and his shirt was wet, although she told police that his pants were on,” the local outlet reported, citing court documents.
Cugini admitted to police that he bathed the child but maintained his claim of innocence, saying his own daughter had “similar injuries” due to diaper rash.
According to public records viewed by the Daily Voice, Cugini is a father to young twin girls but not the injured infant.
The veteran has since been charged with three felonies for rape of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, and aggravated assault – attempts to cause serious bodily injury or causes injury with extreme indifference.
His bond was set at $200,000.
“It has come to our attention, a member of this department was arrested for an incident of alleged misconduct and criminal behavior, occuring in Dauphin County,” said York Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow. “Per our protocol the individual has been immediately suspended as the investigation continues and the City looks to take the appropriate action.”
The commissioned continued:
As everyone knows, I will always be the first to fight and advocate for our people; but they also know (1) how I feel about kids, and (2) that I hold my Officers to the highest of standards (when it comes to representing this Department and engaging with the community).
“And if these allegations are founded, trust and believe I’ll be the first to take swift and definitive action against them,” he concluded.