An Oregon man faces a ten-year prison sentence after punching his 20-month-old son in the stomach, causing a perforation of his small intestine.
Joseph Washington was sentenced to 121 months in prison on Friday, after a jury convicted him of first-degree assault earlier this month. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office reports that the incident occurred in Portland on April 4, 2024. Prosecutors said the boy’s mother had custody of him, and she and Washington were no longer together.
Washington, who occasionally watched the boy while his mother was at work, was caring for the child at his girlfriend’s home. According to prosecutors, he contacted his ex-girlfriend and stated that the boy was “throwing up significantly.”
Washington ignored the mother’s request to take him to the hospital and instead brought him to her. When she realized the situation was dire, she rushed him to the emergency room.
“The child underwent immediate surgery once it was discovered that his intestine was perforated and fluid and air was leaking into his abdomen,” according to the prosecutors. “His perforation was evaluated by medical experts who determined that the injury resulted from blunt force trauma and was highly concerning for child physical abuse.”
The boy’s injuries would have made eating and holding down food impossible because the intestine was flooding bile into the digestive system.
Washington later told the child’s mother that the boy was “bothering him that night” when he became upset and punched him twice in the stomach.
“The defendant’s violence nearly killed this child,” said Deputy District Attorney Mihnea Moga, who handled the case. “Despite his attempts to ignore the child’s symptoms and convince the mother to let him sleep that night, her decision to take him to the hospital saved his life. The verdict in this case reflects accountability for his heinous actions. The community is responsible for protecting children, and I appreciate the jury’s decision to hold the defendant accountable in this case.
Prosecutors say Washington had a lengthy criminal record that included assault, kidnapping, and child sex trafficking.
