Posted: May 18th, 2017

For two years, Rick had been leaving his two young daughters in the care of his live-in girlfriend, Tamika. Though Tamika had a nasty temper, Rick loved her.

For two years, Rick had been leaving his two young daughters in the care of his live-in girlfriend, Tamika. Though Tamika had a nasty temper, Rick loved her. The situation worked out well for him because he worked nights and the girls could remain at home with Tamika. One morning when he returned home from work, his oldest daughter was on the living room floor, crying, in obvious pain. Tamika claimed nothing odd had occurred the previous night. After the girl’s condition did not improve throughout the day, Rick grew concerned that she was very sick and brought her to the hospital. The emergency room doctor determined that the girl had been beaten in the abdomen and severely injured. Tamika fled and was never found. Rick was later charged with felony child abuse, for “knowingly subjecting a child to significant injury or neglect.” If the state demonstrates that Rick’s younger child had been treated for a similar injury while staying with Tamika several months before this incident, could Rick be convicted on this charge?