Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty To Killing Newborn Child Of 15-Year-Old Teen He Sexually Assaulted

A Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to killing the newborn child of a 15-year-old girl he had sexually assaulted on numerous occasions.

On Oct. 23, 2017, the teen was admitted to a hospital in Pittsburgh after she experienced health issues that were caused by not receiving proper treatment after childbirth. The hospital then informed the police.

The teen told the officers she gave birth on Oct. 6 in her bathroom, and added Christopher Kennedy, who was a family friend, was the father of the child. She further stated she and Kennedy were in a relationship since she was 13, media outlet Ellwood City Ledger reported.

When asked about the baby, she said she was alone when she gave birth and she strangled the child to death minutes after delivery. Upon further questioning, the teen said it was Kennedy who killed the child.

She said Kennedy was present during the child’s birth, and minutes later, he strangled the baby to death, put the body in a plastic bag and hid it in a bedroom closet.

Officers then rushed to her residence, where they found a strange smell emanating from the closet even though perfumes were being used to mask the odor. The police found a blue box in the closet, which contained a large plastic bag that held the baby’s body.

Following the discovery, the man was taken into custody and charged with 38 counts of offenses including homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, involuntary deviate sexual assault of a minor under age 16, abuse of a corpse, reckless endangerment, and tampering with evidence, among others, New Castle News reported.

On Tuesday, the accused pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit third-degree murder and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child less than 16 years old, for which he could face up to 36 years in prison.

"We really struggled with agreeing to accept the plea but ultimately at the end of the day we had two main problems in the case," Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa said, Ellwood City Ledger reported.

The teen will also be tried in juvenile court for her alleged involvement in the death of the newborn.