Franklin man accused of seriously harming 3-month-old baby

May 24—A Franklin man indicted last week by a Warren County grand jury is accused of causing serious physical harm to his 3-month-old child.

Dereck E. Blackford, 26, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Warren County Common Pleas Court for felonious assault and endangering children, both second-degree felony offenses, following his May 16 indictment.

Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said sometime between December 2021 and January 2022, the child suffered injuries to the right eye and a fractured right forearm, which was healing. In addition, there was bruising on the child's back and side.

Fornshell said the injuries were found during a visit to the pediatrician's office and the pediatrician referred the child to the hospital. However, the parents did not report to the hospital, which triggered a referral to Warren County Children Services to follow up.

Blackford is in the Warren County Jail, where he has been held since his May 19 arrest.