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Man sentenced in burned baby case

Jason Overman

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By Valerie Lough, Staff Writer Updated 6:53 PM Thursday, February 4, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — A man accused of immersing a baby’s hand in boiling water received the maximum sentence in prison Thursday, Feb. 4.

Jason Overman, 25, was sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to child endangering last month.

Investigators believe Overman injured the 4-month-old child of a woman he knew in February 2009 by holding the baby’s right hand in a pot of boiling water.

Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Andy Wilson said that medical professionals familiar with the case had speculated that the child’s hand could have been held in the water for several seconds.

“This child will never regain full use of her hand,” said Wilson.

Wilson argued that Overman had a hangover the morning of the incident and was babysitting the child while her mother was at work. Overman was accused of injuring the child in frustration because the baby was crying, said Wilson.

Overman addressed the court, saying that the child’s injury was an accident which occurred while he was holding the child and standing too close to the stove where he had water boiling.

“This was all just an accident ... I would never do anything to hurt anyone,” said Overman.

Calling the incident a “callous act,” Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard O’Neill handed down the maximum sentence of eight years.

Overman had originally been charged with two counts of child endangering and one count of felonious assault.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0360 or vlough@coxohio.com.

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