Baby's father accused in 'horrific case of child abuse'

Police in Livingston County have arrested a 35-year-old man accused of abusing his 2-month-old son.

Brock M. Hyde, 35, of Nunda was charged with second-degree assault and reckless assault of a child, both felonies, according to Nunda Police.

Hyde, a three-time convicted felon who was released on parole in 2014, is accused of causing severe injuries to his son in what authorities called "a horrific case of child abuse," according to a news release from Nunda Police Sgt. Stephen Rapp.

The boy suffered a fractured skull, 11 fractured ribs in various stages of healing, a dual eye retinal hemorrhage, fluid and swelling on the brain and a broken bone in his foot, police said.

Nunda Police Chief Jeffrey Wilcox said police were notified of the alleged abuse in early December through a Child Protective Services referral after the baby went to a two-month medical checkup visit at a local doctor's office. A medical professional at the office noted the child's injuries and called CPS.

Wilcox said the child was taken to an area hospital and promptly removed from the home, where the boy had been living with his father and mother. Wilcox was not certain how long the boy was hospitalized.

"It's a difficult crime to even fathom," he said.

Hyde last week was indicted on the felonies through a sealed indictment from a Livingston County grand jury. He is currently at the Livingston County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Livingston County Court on Tuesday morning.

The baby has since been released to foster care, police said.

Further details of the incident were not released.

According to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Hyde was most recently incarcerated for nearly 2½ years following a 2012 conviction for attempted first-degree reckless endangerment. He was released on parole in August 2014 but returned to prison for a month in 2015. He was previously incarcerated for other felony convictions dating back to 2004, including felony assault, attempted robbery and burglary.

His community supervision/parole term ended on Sunday, according to DOCCS.

The charges followed a joint investigation from Nunda police, New York State Police, Livingston County District Attorney's Office, University of Rochester Medical Center, the Bivona Child Advocacy Center and Livingston County Child Protective Services.

VFREILE@Gannett.com

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