A Pennsylvania father has been charged after being accused of sexually assaulting and killing his 10-month-old daughter.
Austin Stevens was charged with involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, rape of a child, aggravated assault, aggravated indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child and other offenses, according to an article published Tuesday by NBC Philadelphia.
‘This case is deeply disturbing. It is hard to imagine this child’s death being any more traumatic.’ https://t.co/ud3R6z4mzs
— WAFF 48 (@waff48) October 8, 2020
“This case is deeply disturbing,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said, according to the outlet. “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.” (RELATED: TLC’s Reality TV Dad Pleads Guilty To 4 Counts Of Child Rape)
The man’s daughter, Zara, was found unresponsive. Authorities have accused Stevens of waiting over an hour to call 911. During the time, police claimed he googled phrases such as “If baby stop 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,” NBC Philadelphia reported.
Stevens also reportedly was in contact with two women on social media and via text messages about topics unrelated to Zara during the time before the 911 call.
Zara’s autopsy concluded she had been sexually assaulted and suffered blunt force trauma to the head. It is not clear how she died, according to the outlet.