Father taken into custody, accused of physically abusing toddler during hospital stay

LEHI, Utah (KUTV) — A Herriman father was taken into custody, accused of physically abusing his child during an overnight stay at Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi.

Investigators said 33-year-old Jesse Scott Rogers and his toddler were at the hospital for seizure monitoring. Due to the continuous monitoring required for the child throughout the night, a video camera was placed in the room.

During the overnight stay, hospital staff reported multiple “concerning incidents” that were allegedly captured on the monitoring camera.

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Officers with the Lehi Police Department said that footage showed Rogers lying in a hospital bed with the toddler just after 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 26. In the video, Rogers allegedly grabbed the toddler by the neck and repositioned them higher up in the bed.

Rogers was also accused of forcibly closing the victim’s eyes with his fingers and pressing them shut in one incident and applying his full body weight on the victim’s chest in another.

According to investigators, Rogers appeared “visibly frustrated” that the toddler would not sleep. Rogers also appeared angry and repeatedly scolded the victim, stating that the situation was the victim’s fault, according to court documents.

The toddler was “visibly distressed” during the incidents, investigators said, adding that the victim was seen crying, squirming, and appearing to be in pain.

Rogers was taken into custody by the Lehi Police Department and booked into the Utah County Jail, where he faces one count of first-degree felony aggravated child abuse.

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