A Missouri father has been arrested and charged with child abuse and endangerment after allegedly harming his infant daughter in an attempt to make her tougher. Noah Humphus, 23, was taken into custody after the baby was hospitalized with injuries consistent with child abuse.
According to a probable cause affidavit, doctors found the infant had fractured ribs, a broken femur, bruising on her face and torso, and showed signs of being shaken. The injuries were in various stages of healing, indicating the alleged abuse had occurred over an extended period.
The infant’s mother told police that Humphus allegedly shook his daughter at least twice a day at home. He reportedly told his partner that this was how to “toughen” children and that it was normal to be rougher with them. In a police interview, Humphus admitted to shaking the baby on multiple occasions when she cried and he felt frustrated.
Humphus allegedly demonstrated to police how he would hold the child upside down by her legs and swing her, which is believed to have caused the broken femur. He estimated that he had abused his child between 10 and 20 times. He is currently being held without bond at the Cole County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.