Fayette County man accused of child abuse
A Smock man is accused of abusing his 5-year-old daughter on multiple occasions.
Dylan Maust, 33, is charged with aggravated assault of a victim under 6, simple assault and harassment.
Police first received a report of potential child abuse occurring at a Reppert Boulevard in North Union Township on July 2.
When an investigator asked the child about a red mark on her face, she said “My dad hits me a lot because I’m bad,” according to the complaint.
Fayette County Children and Youth Services conducted a home visit, during which the child did not disclose how she received the red mark, court documents said. After a licensed physician discovered new bruising in an evaluation performed the next day through CYS, the child and two other children were removed from the home, according to the complaint. They were eventually returned to Maust.
The child also made no statements about the bruising during a forensic interview with CYS, saying only “My parents told me not to say anything,” a CYS caseworker told police.
CYS sent police a letter in August indicating there had been child abuse, the complaint said.
District Attorney Mike Aubele then authorized moving forward with charges in November.
Bond and a preliminary hearing date had not been set as of Tuesday afternoon.