SC dad caused ‘unreasonable harm’ to toddler, then waited a week to get help, cops say

A South Carolina father has been arrested after police say he abused his young son and waited a week to get him treatment, according to media reports.

Antonio Bright, 32, took his 2-year-old son to Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville earlier this month, but the child was later taken to Augusta Burn Center for severe burns, according to the Greenville News. The boy suffered second- and third-degree burns to his buttocks and also had a broken collarbone, according to an arrest citation obtained by Fox Carolina.

The arrest report obtained by WYFF said Bright told a nurse his son fell into a bathtub with hot water. Bright said he heard the boy scream and pulled the boy out of the bathtub, police said, Fox Carolina reported.

Greenville Police say the boy’s injuries are not consistent with Bright’s account of what happened. Greenville police say Bright caused “great bodily injury” to his 2-year-old son, according to WSPA.

And Bright caused “unreasonable harm” to the boy when he chose not to seek immediate medical treatment, police said, according to WSPA.

Police conducted conducted interviews with social services regarding the toddler’s injuries, the Greenville News reported.

Second-degree burns cause red and blistered skin that is sometimes swollen and painful, according to Stanford Health Care. The hospital states third-degree burns appear white or charred and may also damage the underlying bones, muscles and tendons.

Bright was charged with abuse to inflict great bodily injury on a child and unlawful neglect of a child, WSPA reported. He has been released by the Greenville County Detention Center on a $17,500 bond, the Greenville News said.

This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 4:49 PM with the headline "SC dad caused ‘unreasonable harm’ to toddler, then waited a week to get help, cops say."