ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP (KDKA) — Police say a three-month-old baby was allegedly sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend.

Descriptions of what happened to the baby were too graphic for broadcast.

After a more than three month investigation, Rostraver Township Police arrested 18-year-old Joseph Settle and charged him with sexually assaulting the baby.

Settle lives in West Leisenring, Fayette County. Joseph Savage is an acquaintance.

“This is West Leisenring out here – it’s a little patch here – everybody out here knew that he was suspected of molesting a three-month-old baby, but there was no charges brought about,” he said.

According to the criminal complaint, Settle was babysitting the infant while the mother ran errands. She came home and found the infant crying uncontrollably and saw blood in the diaper.

Settle claimed he didn’t know where the blood came from. He told police he changed the infant’s diaper four or five times.

When asked how she was injured, Settle told police he may have accidentally scratched her while changer her diaper.

The infant underwent surgery at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh where doctors determined the injuries were caused by blunt force trauma.

Settle is facing charges of endangering the welfare of children, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault on a person under the age of 13.

He’s in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 bond.

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