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RICHFIELD — A Sevier County man has been arrested and accused of causing life-threatening injuries to an 11-month-old boy.
Dyllan Andy Anderson, 29, of Sigurd, was booked into the Sevier County Jail on Wednesday and charged Thursday in 6th District Court with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony.
On Sunday, an 11-month-old boy, Anderson's nephew, was taken to Primary Children's Hospital. As of Wednesday, the infant was out of surgery and "stable," according to a police booking affidavit.
Doctors told police that the boy suffered a "fractured skull, bleeding around the brain, and a tear to (his) small intestines which required surgery to remove," the affidavit states. "I was informed (the boy's) bruising is consistent with severe, repeated inflicted trauma. The assessment further noted that the intra-abdominal injury was life-threatening and (he) may have died due to this injury if care had not been immediately administered."
Investigators learned that the child had been under Anderson's care. Anderson was questioned by detectives on Tuesday. He admitted to squeezing the boy so hard that it caused the victim to "gasp for air twice," and to using his foot to "scoot" the infant who was crawling on the floor which caused the boy to "hit his head into the post of a wood bed post," according to the affidavit.
Detectives noted, "It was apparent that Dyllan used significant force to move (the boy) which caused the fractured skull and bleeding of the brain."
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237). Help with children Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and fun, connective activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- Birth parents in Utah can safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
