Chiropractor who abused newborn daughter says he never had chance to fall in love with her

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WEBVTT WHERE A JUDGE HANDED DOWN THE MAXIMUM PUNISHMENT KARIN: QUITE AN UNUSUAL TURN OF EVENTS INSIDE A COURTROOM TODAY IN PARTICULAR, WHEN JASON BITTNER GOT UP TO SPEAK RIGHT BEFORE BEING SENTENCED. JASON BITTNER’S FIRST WORDS, " “MAY I ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE?” HE THEN TURNED TO FACE HIS FAMILY. >> I KNOW YOU HATE M KARIN: HE WHISPERED, HE WAS SORRY FOR LYING. THE WEST CHESTER CHIROPRACTOR SAID HIS BUSINESS WAS FAILING, HIS FAMILY WAS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, AND HE SNAPPED, BY ABUSING HIS THREE-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER INSIDE THE FAMILY’S MASON HOME LAST WINTER. JASON: I COULDN’T HANDLE THE CONSTANT SCREAMS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS BRINGING DOWN ON MY LIFE. IT WAS THREE AND FOUR HOURS A DAY, NONSTOP, NO MATTER WHAT I DID. KARIN: HIS DAUGHTER SPENT DAYS IN ICU AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL WITH A BRAIN INJURY, BREATHING TUBE, AND 28 RIB FRACTURES. JASON: WHAT I DID TO MY DAUGHTER IS SO WRONG, HORRIBLE, AND ACTUALLY, I THINK I DESERVE DEATH FOR THIS. KARIN: MINUTES AFTER SPEAKING THOSE WORDS, BITTNER SPOKE OF GOD AND HOW HE WILL FORGIVE HIM. JASON: YEARS FROM NOW, THE LORD WILL REDEEM THIS. I KNOW THIS. KARIN: HE THEN ASKED THE JUDGE TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE. JASON: I ASK FOR MY DAUGHTER'S SAKE THAT YOU NOT THRESH MY LIFE COMPLETELY. DON’T SNUFF ME OUT. KARIN: DURING SENTENCING, PROSECUTORS READ REVEALING TEXT MESSAGES THEY SAY THEY FOUND ON BITTNER’S PHONE. WHICH INCLUDED THE WORDS -- STEVEN: I WAS HEARTBROKEN WHEN -- WAS BORN BECAUSE I WANTED A SON SO BAD. KARIN: BITTNER ADMITTED HE WANTED SONS WHEN BOTH OF HIS DAUGHTERS WERE BORN. AND SAID HE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE YOUNGEST, THE ONE WHO DOCTORS SAY COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS THE REST OF HER LIFE. JUDGE TEPE: YOUR SENTENCE WILL LONG BE OVER WITH AND -- WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH WHATEVER DISADVANTAGE OR DISABILITY THA YOU HAVE INFLICTED UPON HER. KARIN: DESPITE THE DEFENSE’S PLEA TO SENTENCE BITTNER TO COMMUNITY CONTROL, JUDGE TEPE SENTENCED HIM TO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED EIGHT YEARS IN PRI

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A West Chester chiropractor was sentenced to eight years in prison for physically abusing his newborn daughter. Jason Bittner, 34, pleaded guilty in October to endangering children. He said he shook his 3-month-old daughter last February after she wouldn't stop crying.Bittner had a chance to speak in court Tuesday afternoon. He first turned to face family members who were sitting in the gallery and said he was sorry for lying."I'm sorry you hate me," Bittner said.Bittner said his business was failing, his family was struggling financially and he snapped when he shook his daughter in the family's Mason home last winter. "I couldn't handle the constant screams on top of everything else that was raining down on my life. It was three and four hours a day, nonstop, no matter what I did," Bittner said. "I couldn't hang in there, and I just could not hang in there, and I broke down."Defense attorney Steve Adams said Bittner was abused as a child and predisposed to have a mental breakdown."And he did," Adams said. "He snapped. He wasn't himself." Prosecutors said Bittner lied to his wife about their daughter's injuries and discouraged his wife from getting the child treatment."For 48 hours after assaulting his daughter, he watched his child have uncontrollable seizures, continued vomiting and other significant symptoms, but rather than help her, he continued to lie to his wife and actively prevented his daughter from getting treatment because he didn't want to get in trouble. That's who Jason Bittner really is," assistant prosecutor Steven Knippen said. "He chose, despite how critical her condition was, to deny her treatment in an effort to protect himself."The child spent days in ICU at Children's Hospital with a brain injury, breathing tube and 28 rib fractures."What I did to (my daughter) is so wrong, horrible, and I think I deserve death for this," Bittner said.Minutes after speaking those words, Bittner spoke of God and how he will forgive him."Years from now, the Lord will redeem this. I know this. My savior Jesus will redeem all of this and everything that was lost will be brought back," Bittner said.He then asked Judge Tim Tepe to give him a chance."It will be such a great day. When the court gives me an opportunity, I'm going to be the kind of dad that adult women dreamed of having when they were little girls," Bittner said. "I ask for my daughters' sake that you don't trash my life completely. Don't snuff me out. Don't put me all the way down. Don't hurt my daughters that way. Give me a chance."During sentencing, prosecutors read messages they said they found on Bittner's phone."I was heartbroken when (my daughter) was born, because I wanted a son so bad," Knippen said as he read the messageBittner admitted he wanted sons when both of his daughters were born, and said he never had a chance to fall in love with the younger of the two, the one who doctors said could have disabilities the rest of her life."Your sentence will long be over with and (your daughter) will continue to live with whatever disadvantage or disability you had inflicted upon her," Tepe said.Tepe sentenced Bittner to the maximum of eight years. Bittner was taken into custody immediately.