Taking the witness stand in his own defense Wednesday, suspended Pennsylvania State Trooper Christopher Young testified that text messages appearing to show him admitting to abusing his infant son were sent solely to “placate” his ex-wife so he could continue seeing his children.
Young, 36, spent the entire third day of his criminal trial on the stand inside Courtroom 3 at the Schuylkill County Courthouse. He faces felony charges of aggravated assault against an infant and witness intimidation, alongside charges of child endangerment, stalking, and prowling at night stemming from two consolidated cases.
Schuylkill County Judge William Burke informed jurors Wednesday afternoon that following additional medical testimony scheduled for Thursday, the case could be turned over to them to begin verdict deliberations as early as Thursday.
Commonwealth v. Christopher Young: Trial Recap
Jurors previously heard two days of prosecution evidence centering on a September 2023 medical incident involving one of the couple’s twin infant boys. The infant suffered an apparent seizure that caused him to “starfish” and affected his gaze, leading to a child abuse diagnosis from clinicians at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital in Allentown.
Young’s ex-wife, Stacey Young, testified Monday that she came to believe her then-husband was a “monster” who caused the injuries. She read extensive text exchanges in court where Young appeared to accept blame for the abuse, and detailed his arrest outside her Auburn home while armed with a handgun in a waistband holster and a knife.
According to prior testimony, Young had driven to the home after receiving a voicemail from a crisis center, sending frantic calls, texts, and messages indicating self-harm before being taken into custody in the driveway.
On Tuesday, prosecution expert Dr. June Elcock-Messam testified that she was brought in as a consultant for Schuylkill County Children & Youth Services after Lehigh Valley Hospital concluded the infant suffered abusive head trauma, formerly known as Shaken Baby Syndrome. Elcock-Messam testified that testing by hospital staff was comprehensive and supported only one clinical conclusion: child abuse.
Defendant Recalls 2023 Medical Emergency
Taking the stand Wednesday, Young recounted for jurors the evening his son suffered the medical episode. Young testified he was holding the child in his arms when the baby’s shoulders rolled back, his arms extended, and he “kind of moaned.”
“He just was stiff. I panicked right away,” Young testified, recalling that he asked his son, “What’s going on buddy,” and, “Are you OK?”
Young immediately called his wife, who had returned to work that day following maternity leave. Earlier testimony established that before Stacey left for work, the family dog had jumped on the bed where the baby was resting in a specialized pillow, leaving a small scratch that was initially dismissed.
The couple brought the infant to Geisinger-St. Luke’s Hospital outside Orwigsburg, but left about an hour later after being discharged with instructions that the child’s downward gaze was likely due to fatigue.
The following day, because the infant “just wasn’t himself,” the couple chose to seek further evaluation at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, even though the child had maintained his appetite.
Following an extensive battery of tests, hospital staff reported findings of child abuse, triggering a CYS investigation. Young testified that both he and his wife were adamant at the time that the abuse allegations were false.
Defense Challenges Hospital Diagnosis
During his testimony, Young was sharply critical of Lehigh Valley Hospital, referencing Dr. Debra Esernio-Jenssen, a physician who has been named in lawsuits alleging wrongful diagnoses of medical child abuse and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Young testified that a family member warned the couple about the facility, characterising the resulting investigation as a “witch hunt” aimed specifically at him.
“They were trying to bury me,” Young told jurors. “We wanted to get him out of Lehigh Valley Hospital.”
Young recalled the moment Dr. Esernio-Jenssen entered their hospital room, testifying he recognized her from protestors gathered outside the facility and remarked to her, “Holy sh, you’re the lady!”
As the CYS investigation proceeded and the family entered into a safety plan, Young testified his son’s condition improved rapidly. “He was him. He was my son again,” Young said, adding that he was scared by the allegations. “I didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t true.”
Following occupational therapy at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, the couple was permitted to take their child home. They subsequently sought a third medical opinion from a doctor at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, who concluded there was no evidence of child abuse.
While CYS concluded its investigation two months later and ruled the child abuse allegations unfounded, a separate police investigation remained active. Placed on administrative desk duty with the Pennsylvania State Police, Young lost overtime eligibility, became “house poor,” and experienced growing domestic stress.
Domestic Breakdown and Nursery Video
Young testified that domestic tensions culminated on New Year’s Eve 2023 when he went to attend to his crying son. Young testified he was bouncing the infant on his knee to “simulate a car ride” to get him to sleep when Stacey entered the nursery and punched him in the face, saying, “I saw what you did. I saw what you did.”
Young testified he agreed to leave the home two days later because the marriage had become “toxic,” but denied ever physically abusing his children. Stacey subsequently installed security cameras in the home.
Testimony then addressed security camera footage recorded in the nursery before the children’s baptism, which prosecutors have presented as key evidence. Despite their separation, Young stayed overnight at the marital home to assist with the children. When the twins became fussy late at night, both parents sat in rocking chairs in the nursery.
In the video played for jurors, Young is seen holding the fussy infant and adjusting his position while rubbing his chin along the child’s head and soft spot, at which point the baby lets out a sharp cry.
Under direct examination from defense attorney Jay Nigrini, Young denied intent to harm.
“Were you trying to hurt your child,” Nigrini asked.
Young answered firmly, “No.”
Young testified his wife told him the following day at the baptism, “I have video and it doesn’t look good.” Young stated he had never seen the video footage until the Friday immediately preceding the trial.
‘Placating Stacey’ Defense and Prosecution Cross-Examination
Addressing the reams of text messages read by his ex-wife on Monday in which he appeared to accept responsibility for harming the infants, Young testified those statements were not admissions of guilt.
“Stacey was leveraging the children over me,” Young testified. “I had to placate Stacey. If I said what she wanted to hear, I could see my babies.”
During cross-examination, Deputy Attorney General Lauren Eichelberger challenged Young’s explanation, questioning why an innocent father who had not seen the video and maintained he did not harm his children would text admissions of guilt and consent to supervised visits.
Eichelberger presented texts previously admitted into evidence, asking Young repeatedly why he validated accusations of abuse in writing rather than pushing back.
Young reiterated his position on the stand, testifying, “I’ll just do whatever Stacey wanted me to do.”
Cross-Examination on Stalking Arrest
Eichelberger also pressed Young regarding the night of his arrest outside the former marital home in Auburn.
Young testified that while watching Netflix with his father at his father’s Berks County home, he received a voicemail from a crisis center. Believing the call pertained to Stacey, he attempted to call and text her, unaware her phone had been temporarily seized by the Attorney General’s office to retrieve data for the investigation.
Young testified he contacted Stacey’s family asking where she was before driving to the Auburn home. Upon arrival, he noticed an unmarked State Police vehicle in the driveway and parked near a farm access road behind a wooded area to avoid blocking the driveway.
It was at that point, Young testified, that he learned the crisis call concerned an involuntary mental health commitment warrant (302) issued for himself. Young testified he contemplated self-harm, prayed, walked through the woods, and surrendered to officers.
Under cross-examination, Eichelberger questioned why Young did not park in the main driveway if he believed his wife was in immediate danger, whether he explicitly asked her family if she was safe when he contacted them, and why he brought weapons.
Young admitted he did not ask her family if she was okay, and testified he carried a handgun and knife because State Police troopers are instructed that they are “never not on duty, essentially.”
Case Could Reach Jury Thursday
Judge Burke dismissed the jury early Wednesday afternoon, thanking them for their attention and instructing them to return Thursday morning for additional medical testimony. Burke indicated that jury deliberations could begin Thursday following final arguments and jury instructions.
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