Baby abuser pleads guilty

Cooperstown News Bureau

October 11, 2008 04:00 am

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COOPERSTOWN _ In state Supreme Court of Otsego County, an Oneonta man who broke an infant's leg in December pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree assault.

Gary Grant, 33, is being held without bail at the Otsego County jail and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 8 by Justice Michael Coccoma.

According to Otsego County District Attorney John Muehl, Grant will be sentenced to six years in prison, one year less than the maximum penalty allowed by law for second-degree assault.

``There is no excuse for what he did, and he'll pay for it,'' Muehl said.

At the time of the incident, the victim, a baby girl, was only 5 weeks old and living at the former Messina's trailer park, 5106 State Highway 23, in the town of Oneonta.

According to a source familiar with the incident, the baby was in the bedroom of a trailer with Grant and her mother, Kira Miller, when the baby's grandmother heard the child scream in pain.

The grandmother summoned help, and the baby was taken to A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta for treatment, where it was discovered one of her legs had been broken. In January, Assistant District Attorney Michael Getman said he was unsure which leg it was.

After the incident, Miller was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and hindering prosecution.

Muehl said Friday that charges against the mother were disposed of in lower court. The charges were second-degree hindering prosecution and endangering the welfare of a child.

Miller's attorney, Andrew Puritz of Oneonta, could not be reached for comment Friday. He previously stated, ``She was in no way involved in this incident.''

Muehl said the baby girl is in foster care and doing well.

Also before Coccoma on Oct. 2:

ä Joseph J. Devine, 31, of Endicott, was indicted on a charge of first-degree sexual abuse.

The indictment states he had sexual contact with another person ``by forcible compulsion.'' Court records stated the incident occurred June 20 in the city of Oneonta.

Devine is free on $15,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

ä Zacharias W. Fuller, 34, of Schenevus, was indicted on two counts of driving while intoxicated.

According to court records, the incident occurred Aug. 17 in the town of Maryland.

Fuller was jailed in lieu of $2,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 17 before Otsego County Judge Brian Burns.