PORTSMOUTH
A 19-year-old man accused of burning his girlfriend's baby in scalding bath water faces charges of child cruelty, malicious wounding and felony child neglect in grand jury indictments released Friday.
Also on Friday, a Juvenile and Domestic Relations judge certified to the grand jury an additional charge of attempted murder against the man, Matthew A. Simon.
Simon was arrested several days after he took the 8 -month-old child to the mother's workplace at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center and the injuries were discovered.
Simon, who is not the child's father, told police during questioning that the day before the May 27 burning incident he hit the baby, according to testimony during an earlier preliminary hearing.
Detective M.A. Wynne testified that Simon also said he had dunked the baby in the bathtub a number of times and at one point held her under water.
Rebecca Robinson, Simon's attorney, argued that there was no evidence beyond his statement that the incident actually happened.
Andrew Kolp, the prosecutor, said it was enough for probable cause.
Judge Joel P. Crowe gave attorneys a week to file briefs on the issue and then ruled Friday that the confession was sufficient to certify the attempted-murder charge to the grand jury.
The baby, now almost a year old, has recovered and is living with her father's family, according to information that came out in court.
Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com
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