Gaston County police charge man in child abuse case Wednesday

A Bessemer City man has been accused of abusing a 14-month-old toddler.

Gaston County police said Matthew Paul Jenkins, 24, was charged with felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury and misdemeanor assault on a child under 12. He was jailed on $250,000 bail.

The toddler and the child’s mother were living with Jenkins at the time of the alleged incidents in January and February, police said. The child’s mother had observed bruising and swelling around the child’s face, head and eyes, and took the toddler to a local hospital, police said.

The child was transferred to a Charlotte hospital, where the child was determined to have been injured by acute blunt force trauma, police said. Adam Bell

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Gaston County police charge man in child abuse case Wednesday."