Jul 1, 2010 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

Nearly all charges filed against a Brownsville man accused of assaulting a 19-month-old girl on multiple occasions at a home in Brownsville were held for court. Trooper James W. Petrosky said Emery William Gibson, 21, of Brownsville was initially charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering the welfare of a child May 16 after police investigated the alleged incidents they said occurred between April 29 and May 15.

However, several weeks later, Petrosky filed additional charges against Gibson before Magisterial District Judge Mike Defino Jr., including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child causing serious bodily injury and four counts of aggravated indecent assault.

Those charges were filed after hospital personnel conducted further examinations of the child.

Defino held all charges except a single count of aggravated assault against Gibson to Fayette County Court during a preliminary hearing earlier this month.

Petrosky said the initial charges were filed against Gibson after he beat the toddler on at least two separate occasions at a home on High Street.

According to Petrosky, the toddler was taken to Uniontown Hospital on Saturday and was then transferred to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of extensive injuries.

Petrosky said the toddler suffered severe bruising and bleeding.

Petrosky said after police learned the toddler’s condition, they questioned Gibson about the child’s injuries.

Gibson confessed to beating the toddler on several occasions, Petrosky said.

According to Petrosky, the toddler suffered a “significant amount of bruising” to her buttocks, thighs and genital area as a result of the beatings.

Gibson told police the toddler was lying down with her legs in the air as he was changing her diaper and that the girl accidentally kicked him in the groin.

The complaint stated that Gibson admitted to hitting the toddler four times with the heel of his hand and that he meant to strike her buttocks but may have hit her genital area.

Gibson allegedly told police he thought he may have hit the girl “pretty hard for her size” and that he saw she was bleeding, Petrosky said.

In addition, Petrosky said Gibson confessed to hitting the toddler on the head and face on April 29, which also caused the girl to suffer injuries.

In the amended complaint filed against Gibson in early June, Petrosky said that Dr. Monique Higginbotham of Children’s Hospital told investigators that she and another doctor determined that the toddler also had been sexually assaulted.

Gibson remains in the Fayette County Prison on $75,000 straight cash bond.