A Pennsylvania State Trooper working out of the Hamburg barracks and lived in Schuylkill County was charged Tuesday with aggravated assault of his infant and abuse of his two other children.
Christopher Young, of South Heidelberg Township, Berks County, was arraigned before District Magistrate Judge AJ Serina and charged with the following:
- Aggravated Assault – Victim less than 6 and Defendant 18 or older — second-degree felony
- Aggravated Assault – Victim less than 13 and Defendant 18 or older — first-degree felony
- Simple Assault — first-degree misdemeanor
- Simple Assault — first-degree misdemeanor
- Recklessly Endangering Another Person — second-degree misdemeanor
- Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense — second-degree felony
A grand jury indictment from Dauphin County was recently unsealed that allowed the state Attorney General’s Office to move forward with the charges that were filed Tuesday.
Serina set bail at $50,000 cash, which was posted on Tuesday and Young is free on bond.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 12.
In a statement, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday says, “No one is above the law. The alleged actions by the defendant are deeply disturbing, and my office intends to hold him fully accountable. When a sworn officer violates their oath it is a stain on all officers who selflessly and professionally protect their communities.”
Young has been suspended without pay from his job as a State Trooper.
Grand Jury Testimony Details
The allegations against Young stem from a September 2023 incident in which the trooper’s infant child—then between 2 and 3 months old—suffered a traumatic head injury while in his care at the family’s Schuylkill County home.
According to grand jury testimony, the injured child is one of a set of twins born in June 2023. The children were reportedly healthy prior to the injury. On the day of the incident, their mother returned to work for the first time since their birth, leaving them in the care of her father and a family friend, who is a nurse. No concerns were raised by the caregivers throughout the day.
The trooper, also working that day, was scheduled to relieve the caregivers in the afternoon. Around 6 p.m., he called his then-wife and asked her to come home immediately, saying he believed one of the twins had experienced a seizure. He described the baby becoming stiff and noted a change in breathing.
The couple took the child to Geisinger-St. Luke’s Hospital in Orwigsburg. There, the mother mentioned a minor incident earlier that morning when the family’s dog had jumped on the bed and scratched the child. The family friend reportedly advised her it was not a cause for concern. Hospital staff diagnosed the child with a Brief Resolved Unexplained Event (BRUE) and discharged them soon afterward. The mother later testified she felt rushed and believed more testing was needed.
The next day, they sought a second opinion at Lehigh Valley Hospital, where doctors determined the child had suffered a non-accidental, traumatic head injury. Findings included a brain hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhages in both eyes, diffuse axonal injury, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. A swallow study resulted in a diagnosis of dysphagia, and a physical therapy evaluation identified muscle tone deficits in the neck and trunk. Due to the severity of the injuries, hospital staff filed a Childline referral, and the child was admitted to a rehabilitation facility for one week.
Following the referral, Schuylkill County Children and Youth Services began an investigation and required scans of the family’s other children. The mother, who did not initially believe the injury was caused by abuse, sought a separate evaluation from a neurologist in New York, who reportedly found no signs suggesting abuse.
However, CYS consulted another physician—an expert in child abuse pediatrics retained by the agency and the Attorney General’s Office—who reviewed medical records from both hospitals and determined the injuries were consistent with inflicted trauma. That physician disagreed with the New York neurologist’s conclusion and testified before the grand jury.
In addition to the medical findings, the mother testified to a series of incidents—both before and after the September injury—that raised concerns about the trooper’s behavior toward the children.
She described instances in which, if one of the twins refused a bottle, the trooper would allegedly force the bottle to the point of choking or gagging. He reportedly told her that if she objected, she would need to handle all overnight feedings herself. She also recounted seeing him drop heavily onto furniture while holding the infants.
With the couple’s older child, then about 1 year old, the mother testified that the trooper would yell profanities when the child wouldn’t sleep. She also recalled one occasion where the child was found holding a firearm that had been left within reach. When confronted, the trooper allegedly dismissed the danger, saying the child wasn’t strong enough to pull the trigger.
One incident in late December particularly alarmed her. After hearing one of the twins crying, she found the trooper holding the baby and making abrupt downward movements with his arms. When questioned, he reportedly responded, “What, I can’t do this?”
Following that, the trooper was asked to leave the home. He allegedly dismissed the concerns, said no one would believe her, and threatened to call the police after she slapped him during the confrontation. He left the next day, and the mother subsequently installed surveillance cameras in the home.
Although he later sought therapy and was allowed to visit the children under supervision, the mother testified that another troubling incident occurred in March, the night before the twins’ baptism. According to her, while holding the previously injured twin, the trooper caused the child to scream. She reviewed home surveillance footage and allegedly observed him pressing his chin into the top of the child’s head repeatedly while her back was turned.
She confronted him the next morning, warning that she would turn over the footage if he ever harmed the children again. He reportedly dismissed her concerns and said no one would believe her. Shortly afterward, she contacted a divorce attorney.
The Grand Jury then viewed text messages shared between Stacey and Young in which Young reportedly admits to hurting the children.
After the wife was served with a Grand Jury subpoena, communications intensified from Young and on several instances, he reportedly threatened to inflict self-harm and while he was driving to her home, he was intercepted by police and arrested.
Young was charged earlier this year with witness’ intimidation over these messages.
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