Father charged after young son gets sunburn

[Joemonkey]

http://www.kentucky.com/779/story/429365.html

LEXINGTON, Ky. --Police in Berea have charged a man after his two-year-old son was sunburned.

Authorities charged 27-year-old Bobby Jones with criminal abuse, saying he didn't take adequate care to make certain the boy didn't come to harm.

Officers said Jones left the child out in the sun for at least 90 minutes Sunday without applying sunscreen.

Doctors said the boy had second- and third-degree burns.

The child's mother reported the burns after she picked up her son.

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/19699754.html

A Madison County father faces some serious charges after police say he left his 2-year-old son out in the hot sun for too long.

27-year-old Bobby Jones is charged with criminal abuse.

Berea Police say Jones let his son play outside on Sunday for at least an hour and a half without any sunscreen or protection from the sun. The result, large blisters, which doctors say are 2nd and 3rd degree burns.

Police say the father never said anything about the blisters. The boy's mother noticed them when she came to pick him up.

Yeesh, 2nd and 3rd degree burns? Criminal abuse is correct I guess...

 

[Homerboy]

my wife always yells at me when I don't put the sunscreen on the kids. I guess she was right after all.

 

[SpunkyJones]

Crap, I feel bad for the kid, but is it really criminal to be stupid?

 

[bignateyk]

If it's true the kid actually had second and third degree burns, then yeah, the dad is a lousy parent. If it was just a normal sunburn then it doesn't warrant charges of any kind.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
Crap, I feel bad for the kid, but is it really criminal to be stupid?

God I wish it was.

 

[Joemonkey]

About 1983 or so my parents took me to Florida and didn't put sunscreen on me, I ended up w/ some hella sunburn/blisters and even sun poisoning. I guess back then it was OK because we didn't know about sun damage?

 

[QueBert]

I blistered up as a kid playing outside from the sun, I don't see how 1 1/2 hours can cause 3rd degree burns though. Dad probably just didn't think about, I doubt he'll let it happen again so what's the big deal?

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
Crap, I feel bad for the kid, but is it really criminal to be stupid?

It can be if some other person came to harm as a direct result of stupidity.

In this case, it sounds like the father should be charged.

 

[OutHouse]

i can see getting second degree sunburns from 90 mins i did that many times as a kid but was in the sun much longer. I have my doubts that the kid has third degree burns.

 

[vi edit]

Not to trivialize the event, but can you even get 3rd degree burns from sun exposure?

 

[sdifox]

It is entirely possible the kid is very sensitive to sunburn.

when I was a kid, we would go to an atoll island system for vacation. I would get so burned in day one that my skin start peeling the next day. Never hurt or anything though. I guess I superburned it.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Not to trivialize the event, but can you even get 3rd degree burns from sun exposure?

yes, people lost at sea or in the desert can get 3rd degree burns but it takes a few days.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
About 1983 or so my parents took me to Florida and didn't put sunscreen on me, I ended up w/ some hella sunburn/blisters and even sun poisoning. I guess back then it was OK because we didn't know about sun damage?

It was OK because it was you.

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Not to trivialize the event, but can you even get 3rd degree burns from sun exposure?

I am guessing so. I had 2nd degree sunburns after a day at the Cedar Point water park when I was in high school. I was applied with burn cream and wrapped in bandages. My face was like a leather mitt, and I could barely move my arms. I had blisters that were mostly the same diameter as a golf ball. A couple were the same diameter as a baseball. These blisters completely covered my upper arms and shoulders, appearing as a large yellow mass. It was terrible. A two-year-old has had significantly lower sun exposure and probably has less resistance to the radiation.

 

[scott916]

How the fuck did he get third degree burns after only an hour and a half?

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: scott916
How the fuck did he get third degree burns after only an hour and a half?

Maybe he's Irish?

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: vi edit
Not to trivialize the event, but can you even get 3rd degree burns from sun exposure?

yes, people lost at sea or in the desert can get 3rd degree burns but it takes a few days.

Some hospitals classify any burns that blisters as "3rd degree".

 

[scott916]

I guess I could see it happening if the blisters are considered third degree. I rode in a convertible for 8 hours one day and got a second degree burn on my forehead. God that was terrible.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey
About 1983 or so my parents took me to Florida and didn't put sunscreen on me, I ended up w/ some hella sunburn/blisters and even sun poisoning. I guess back then it was OK because we didn't know about sun damage?

Same here. This is a 2 year old we're talking about here though...

 

[lozina]

Maybe the kid lived in a cave for the previous 6 months and this was the first light he was exposed to

 

[Mermaidman]

Skin cancer--
The poor kid will face a greatly increased risk of skin cancer later in life.

 

[AnnonUSA]

Originally posted by: Homerboy

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
Crap, I feel bad for the kid, but is it really criminal to be stupid?

God I wish it was.

We would need bigger jails....

 

[ManyBeers]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
Crap, I feel bad for the kid, but is it really criminal to be stupid?

IMO it is criminal to charge the father with a crime. Society running amok.

 

[dainthomas]

The dad better never break his kid's lawnmower or he's really in for it.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Not to trivialize the event, but can you even get 3rd degree burns from sun exposure?

yes. BUT it takes being in the sun far longer then 90 minutes.