Deputies: Man confesses to horrific case of child abuse

SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Deputies in Spalding County are investigating a heinous case of child abuse.

Chadwick Haldeman, 40, is accused of attacking a 7-month-old baby.

Deputies were called out to Spalding Regional Hospital about the infant.

"The mother had brought the child to the hospital believing that it was suffering from an infection and pink eye," Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix said. "The child was lethargic and in obvious distress."

Investigators said tests on the baby indicated multiple injuries including a broken leg, broken arm, spinal fractures, broken ribs, multiple burns appeared to have been caused by a cigarette, and a traumatic brain injury. The infant was flown to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment and surgery to relieve swelling. The baby was listed in critical condition and on life support as of Thursday evening.

"Based on what happened to the child a search warrant was executed at a home located at 71 Ramsey Circle, where Chadwick Haldeman was taken into custody," the sheriff said. "In an interview conducted with Haldeman by investigators, he admitted in detail to methodically hurting the child, how and what he did, but stopped short of a motive."

When deputies arrested Haldeman, he confessed to hurting the child but didn't reveal why he did it.

"The confession was graphic, details and my investigators describe it as sickening. What was done to this 7-month-old baby was nothing short of barbaric," the sheriff said.

Sheriff Dix said in his confession, Haldeman attempted to minimize the injuries to the child, but not his involvement.

"In my 32 years of being in law enforcement I have never encountered anything this evil, nor have any of my investigators," the sheriff explained. "Haldeman was cold, calculated and intentional in his actions."

The sheriff said the investigation is on-going and that investigators will be talking to the child's mother and others about "their possible roles, negligence, or culpability in the case."

Haldeman remained in jail as of Thursday evening.