Somerset woman sentenced to a jail term in child abuse case
The second half of a couple charged with abusing a 1-year-old child who was hospitalized with bruises and burns in August, 2021, was sentenced by Judge Scott Bittner Monday.
Bittner sentenced Kelsea Truman, 27, to 19 days to 23 months in Somerset County Jail for endangering the welfare of children, a first-degree misdemeanor. She was credited for time served and walked out of the courtroom a free woman entering her probationary period.
The Somerset resident was ordered by the judge to participate in a probation program for the next 36 months.
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The other half of the couple, Austin Ray Brant, pleaded guilty Sept. 19 to endangering the welfare of children, also a first-degree misdemeanor, and was sentenced on May 26, 2022, to 3 to 23 months in jail followed by one year of probation.
The 28-year-old Boswell man served his time n the Somerset County Jail and was released from incarceration in January. He is now participating in the Somerset County probation program.
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The initial charges filed against Brant and Truman were endangering the welfare of children and aggravated assault felonies and simple assault, which is a first-degree misdemeanor, prior to plea agreements.
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State police in Somerset were notified by UPMC Somerset on Aug. 23, 2021, that a 1-year-old child was evaluated for injuries. The child was later seen at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where bruises were found that were not "sustained by normal childhood play and are consistent with inflicted bruises," according to court documents.
Burns on the child's arms were also "consistent with inflicted burns," the documents continued.
Brant was charged and sentenced in another criminal incident that involved Truman. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August to 45 days to 23 months for strangulation connected to a domestic abuse incident April 15, 2022, in Jenner Township.
He and Truman began fighting in the car while driving home when he pulled over and told her to get out. Then he changed his mind and took her the rest of the way, parked the car, and reached over and choked her with both hands. She broke free, jumped out of the car, and the couple threw shoes at each other. Brant next took Truman's phone and threw it against a nearby wall, breaking the phone. He then choked her again. Then they went inside and the fight stopped, according to court documents.
It is not clear where the baby is at this time, except that the court documents indicate that Somerset County Children and Youth Services "authorization" is part of the cases.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset woman sentenced to a jail term in child abuse case
