Man Charged After 15-Month Old Girl Found in Rural Ditch with Bug Bites All Over Her

A Nebraska man has been charged months after a 15-month-old baby supposedly in his care was found in a ditch, riddled with insect bites and diaper rash.

Austin Hendrick, 31, was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 27 in connection with the October incident in Adams County in October, according to local authorities, Local 4, NTV and the Hastings Tribune reported.

Around 8 a.m. on Oct. 4, the Adams County Sheriff's Office received a call from a concerned citizen after a passerby found the child in the ditch, Local 4 and NTV reported, citing a search warrant affidavit and the sheriff's office, respectively.

The responding deputy arrived at the scene to see a truck driver holding the child, who was in overall good health condition, albeit with bug bites, diaper rash and a full diaper.

Soon afterwards, the sheriff's office says, a tipster contacted police to report they allegedly received a call from Hendrick, who claimed he had been babysitting the child and couldn't find her, per NTV.

When speaking to police, Hendrick allegedly claimed that he believed someone took the child from his home, which is about a mile and a half away from where she was found.

He said he had gone to feed the dogs but came back to see the front door wide open — and the child gone, per the search warrant affidavit cited by NTV.

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Hendrick has been charged with felony child abuse without injury, the outlets reported, citing court records.

He is set to be arraigned on Thursday, Jan. 29.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.