Greene man pleads guilty to abusing infant
A Greene County man accused of beating and sexually assaulting his infant son last year pleaded guilty to all counts against him in Greene County Court of Common Pleas Tuesday.
Zachary Bryte, 26, of Washington Township, was arrested and charged with attempted homicide in June after his month-old son was taken to UPMC Greene with seizure-like symptoms. The child was then transferred to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va, where doctors found a skull fracture, brain bleeding, rib fractures and other injuries that they determined to be consistent with severe trauma.
State police said Bryte appeared to have abused the child since his birth.
The child was hospitalized in critical condition and subsequently released.
Bryte had undergone a forensic examination by Washington County Dr. Michael Crabtree in advance of a possible trial.
“I did not believe there was anything in that report that would give you a credible defense at trial,” Bryte’s attorney, Joseph Zupancic, told him in court Tuesday.
District Attorney Brianna Vanata asked Bryte if he realized the commonwealth would push for as many of the charges as possible to be sentenced consecutively. If that occurred, Bryte would serve a maximum of 109.5 to 219 years.
“Yes, sir,” Bryte told Vanata.
Bryte is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, involuntary deviate sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, endangering welfare of children and indecent assault.
No sentencing date had been set Tuesday.