A Steuben County jury convicted a Hornell man Thursday of violently shaking his infant daughter in 2022, leaving her with permanent brain injuries. The jury found Robert E. Taft, 28, guilty on six felony counts following a two-week trial.
Prosecutors said Taft attacked his daughter twice when she was just two months old, causing near-fatal injuries. Authorities were alerted after hospital staff suspected abuse during an emergency visit on October 23, 2022. Taft was arrested weeks later and now faces up to 25 years in prison at his August 1 sentencing.
Officials said the child, now almost three, will suffer lifelong effects. Prosecutors emphasized the emotional toll of the case and the jury’s role in delivering justice.
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