4-Year-Old Boy Arrives at Hospital With Swollen Face and Loose Teeth After Allegedly Being Hit by His Father

A 4-year-old boy was taken to a West Virginia hospital with a swollen face and loose front teeth after allegedly being struck by his father, according to authorities. The child reportedly told a forensic nurse that his father became angry because he would not go to sleep after his mother had read him a bedtime story. The disturbing allegations prompted a child abuse investigation that continued for several months before an arrest was made.

Joshua George, 39, of Monongah, West Virginia, was charged with child abuse resulting in injury, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were called to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown on July 26, 2026, after medical staff became concerned about the boy’s physical condition. They reportedly found the child with swelling on the left side of his face and loose front teeth.

Medical staff also alerted child protective services, and the sheriff’s office began investigating the circumstances behind the injuries. During a later interview at the Marion County Child Advocacy Center in September, the boy reportedly told investigators that an injury to his ear was caused by his father. Court documents cited by local media also described the child’s account of his father becoming angry and hitting him.

Investigators continued gathering evidence over the following weeks. On October 1, deputies reportedly obtained a warrant to review the child’s medical records, which contained statements consistent with the allegations. The case then moved toward an arrest, as authorities sought to establish what had happened to the young boy and how he sustained his injuries.

George was arrested on October 18 and booked into the North Central Regional Jail. His bond was set at $100,000, and a court date had not been publicly listed in the reports available. He has been charged with child abuse resulting in injury; the allegations have not been proven in court.

The case has renewed attention on the role medical professionals and child-protection services can play when injuries raise concerns about possible abuse. In this instance, hospital staff’s decision to notify authorities led to an investigation that continued for months. The boy’s reported statements became an important part of the case, while the legal process will determine the outcome of the charges.

Source: Law&Crime