Investigation Of Child's Near-Death Beating Includes Mother: DA

This story has been updated since first reported on Tuesday.

WESTTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A man beat his girlfriend's 9-year-old daughter nearly to death doctors said after she was rushed into their care, and law enforcement said the beating was so severe they are charging the West Chester man with attempted homicide.

But the investigation is ongoing, and includes the child's mother who told police she let the boyfriend "discipline" the girl with a curtain rod, the district attorney said today.

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department charged Dimitrios Moscharis, 34, with Attempted Homicide, Strangulation, Aggravated Assault, Possessing an Instrument of Crime, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, False Imprisonment, and related charges after finding his girlfriend's 9-year old daughter beaten severely and unconscious.

The victim is in critical condition at Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital with injuries to multiple organs, extensive bruising all over her body, and likely brain damage due to oxygen deprivation for an extended time, the district attorney reported today. All her injuries are consistent with trauma, police said.

The district attorney reported in a 3 p.m. Tuesday news conference that the child remains unresponsive today, and that her condition had worsened since she was admitted to the hospital.

The defendant is being held without bail at Chester County Prison.

"What this child endured is unconscionable," said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan today. "The defendant's depravity is beyond words and comprehension. It is the kind of criminal action that is devastating to our community and parents alike."

A seasoned child abuse detective said that the child's bruising all over her body was the worst he’s ever seen in his career, Ryan reported. "My office vows to seek full justice for the victim child with maximum punishment for the defendant," the D.A. added.

Dr. Brenda Bernot, Chief of Police at Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department, stated, "Children are the most vulnerable members of our society, and it is heartbreaking and unimaginable that anyone could abuse a child in such a horrific manner. The Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department is committed to pursuing every possible lead to ensure that those responsible for this horrific crime are brought to justice."

The criminal complaint against Moscharis alleges that the child was in his care on the morning of Nov. 23 when police received a report of an unconscious child in a Westtown Township home.

Police said the child's mother reported that while she was driving for Lyft in Northeast Philadelphia, she received a text from the defendant, her boyfriend, to come home immediately. When the mother arrived home, she found her daughter unconscious, wet, and fully clothed in the bathtub. The house was "in disarray, indicating a struggle," police reported. The child's mother and the defendant pulled her from the bathtub to perform CPR after the mother called 911.

By the time that call was made, the child could have been unresponsive for as long as 45 minutes, the district attorney's office said Tuesday afternoon.

Police reported they found the child unresponsive on the bathroom floor when they arrived. When EMS removed her clothes to perform life-saving measures, they found extensive bruising all over her body that appeared both old and new, the complaint said.

Doctors at DuPont said the victim suffered a "near fatality," meaning she suffered life-threatening injuries, including to her lungs, the report stated. Tests showed that she likely suffered brain damage because she was deprived of oxygen for a significant time, indicating strangulation or suffocation.

The child's body had bruising patterns consistent with objects police found near the bathroom, including a curtain rod, hanger, and other implements, the criminal complaint said.

The victim's mother later told police that she and the defendant had been dating for about two months. When the defendant saw the mother struggling to control her daughter, she said he told her the child needed to be disciplined. After that, whenever the child acted out or didn't listen, the mother allowed the defendant to hit her with a curtain rod or a baton used to open and close window blinds. If the discipline became excessive, the mother claims she told the defendant to stop. Additionally, the defendant would force the child to walk up and down the stairs with her arms outstretched for hours at a time and lock her in the closet for extended periods, the criminal complaint states.

Investigators learned that the defendant failed to call 911 for help despite knowing the child had stopped breathing for at least 10-15 minutes, according to the criminal complaint.

When the mother arrived home and finally called 911, the defendant told her to lie to the police and state that the child's biological father injured the child.

An investigation in ongoing in the case, and Ryan said that investigation includes the child's mother.

The District Attorney said, "During the pandemic, we have seen a notable decrease in child abuse reports. We do not believe this is a result of fewer child abuse cases but of less oversight. The highest number of ChildLine reports overwhelmingly come from our educators on the frontlines protecting our children every day. We implore everyone to stay vigilant and check in on our most vulnerable population. They rely on us to keep them safe."

A preliminary hearing is scheduled on Nov. 30 at 9:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Martin Goch.

This case is assigned to Deputy District Attorney Erin O’Brien.

Anyone with information is urged to call Chester County Detectives at 610-344- 6866 or Westtown-East Goshen Detective Russel Weaverling at 610-692-9600.

If you suspect child abuse contact ChildLine at 800-932-0313.