Justin M. Cave

Leonardtown, MD — A Leonardtown man will be spending a lot of time in jail to think about what he did to a small child. Justin Cave, 22, was sentenced Nov. 3 to 15 years in jail by St. Mary’s County Circuit Court Judge David Densford. Cave had pled guilty to second-degree child abuse

What he did was unveiled in court during the sentencing hearing by Assistant State’s Attorney Julie White. She showed the judge and Cave’s defense attorney, public defender Eric Sullivan, photos taken at MedStar St Mary’s Hospital of the two-year-old girl. The pictures showed bruises to her head, face, arms and buttocks and chunks of her hair missing from her scalp.

Cave had been taking care of the child during the day while the child’s mother was at work. The original story told by Cave to the toddler’s grandparents was that he tripped over the child while carrying a baby seat and fell on her, causing the bruises.

The grandparents became suspicious and took the child to the hospital where the injuries were observed. According to charging documents filed by St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Detective Ashley Croyle after interviewing Cave, “The defendant acknowledged physically disciplining the victim multiple times, with too much force, within the past week and stated he only recently started losing his temper after the victim started pressing his buttons” Earlier in the interview he said, according to the investigator, that he got angry with the girl “for cursing at him and not listening.”

As testimony unfolded at the sentencing hearing it became apparent that the young girl suffered from more than physical injuries. White said, “He pummeled her. All I hear is excuses. A little girl has PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome). She can hardly talk. The defendant pulled out her hair and beat her.”

White read an emotional statement from the child’s grandmother about the toll the abuse has taken on the child. And the child’s mother spoke directly to the judge: “He beat my daughter. He almost killed her Thank God the state has the resources to help her. We’ll live with this for the rest of our lives.” She asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence.

The excuses for Cave’s behavior were detailed by attorney Sullivan. They included severe, almost daily abuse at the hands of his own step-father, which was confirmed by Cave’s brother in testimony. “It’s not fair that our father was abusive like that.”

Cave’s history showed escalating drug abuse, including cocaine and heroin. But he told the judge, “I have never been violent. Ask my friends. It is just not me.”

That maximum sentence requested by the little girl’s mother is exactly what the judge imposed–15 years with no suspended sentence. The judge did request incarceration at Patuxent institution so Cave can receive the drug and anger management treatment which he obviously needs according to testimony.

When the sentence was imposed, Cave’s mother seated at the rear of the courtroom cried out and collapsed and had to be assisted out of the courtroom by a member of the security force. As she was being removed Cave shouted out, “I love you mom.”

The judge did give Cave credit for the 117 days he had been in jail pending sentencing.

Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com