York babysitter punched child, 3, covered bruises with toothpaste

An extended family babysitter from York who punched a 3-year-old child in the face when the child would not stop crying and tried to cover up the bruises with toothpaste was sentenced to six years in prison Monday.

The sentence was not enough for several of the child’s family members who wanted James “Jamie” Loranzy Giles to receive the maximum of 10 years after Giles pleaded guilty to unlawful neglect toward a child.

Giles, 40, who had no previous criminal record, is related to the child by marriage, said prosecutor Sharon Kopp, 16th Circuit assistant solicitor. The Herald is not naming the child victim because of his age.

Giles cried during much of the court hearing Monday but gave no reason for his actions. Asked by Judge Dan Hall if he had anything to say, Giles said: ‘I really can’t (talk) right now,” as he sobbed in court.

The child was staying with Giles on a sleepover in May 2016 when the child was beaten so badly he required hospitalization, Kopp said.

Giles initially told the child’s mother and other relatives that the boy fell off the bed during the sleepover, Kopp said.

“But what really happened is Mr. Giles punched the 3-year-old victim in the head to get him to stop screaming,” Kopp said in court.

More, York County Sheriff’s Office detectives Pete Branham, Fred Moore and Mark Motz found that Giles tried to cover up the crime using toothpaste as a masking agent, Kopp said.

“Mr. Giles Googled how to get rid of bruising and put toothpaste on the victim’s face,” Kopp said.

The child’s family wanted Judge Hall to give Giles the 10-year maximum sentence allowed under the law for child neglect.

“This is an innocent child,” the child’s grandmother said in court. “There is still fear upon his face.”

The child’s stepfather said in court the damage could have been “catastrophic’ and the boy was hurt so badly that at first “I couldn’t identify him.”

The child’s mother cried in court, saying her son was “beaten to the point of severe damage.”

The Herald is not naming the mother, stepfather and grandmother to protect the identity of the child victim.

Giles suffers from medical problems including depression and takes several medications, said Giles’ wife and his lawyer, Matt Burgess. Burgess asked Hall, the judge, to give Giles probation.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 8:52 AM with the headline "York babysitter punched child, 3, covered bruises with toothpaste."