Charlestown man arrested after assaulting girlfriend's toddler, police say

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Charlestown, Indiana, man was arrested this week after assaulting his girlfriend's toddler, according to police.

Scott Smith, 29, was arrested Wednesday after a three-week child abuse investigation, the Charlestown City Police Department said in a Facebook post on Friday.

Police said the investigation began after the toddler was taken to Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville with several "serious and unexplained" injuries.

During their investigation, police interviewed people who had recently been around the child, including Smith, the live-in boyfriend of the child's mother.

Police said investigators were able to determine a timeframe for when the boy was injured. They also learned that Smith was alone with the child for about 30 minutes during that timeframe while his mother was running an errand.

After multiple interviews with Smith and the child's mother, an arrest warrant was issued on Wednesday.

Smith was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and neglect of a dependent, both felonies. He was booked into the Clark County Jail and appeared in Clark Circuit Court on Thursday via Zoom, where a judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. He remains at the jail awaiting his next court appearance on June 29.