Man accused of beating infant son to death

(Staten Island - WABC, August 17, 2007) (WABC) -- A father is supposed to protect his child. But police say a man on Staten Island fatally beat his two-month old -- and they say he later confessed to evenmore horrific details.

A spokesman for the Staten Island district attorney said 21-year-old Joseph Wallace pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree manslaughter, aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree and child endangerment.

The baby, named for his father, was discovered unconscious May 18 inside the family's apartment on Staten Island, police said. The infant was taken to nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

After the medical examiner determined the child died of blunt force trauma to the head and delivered the autopsy results on Thursday, police arrested the father.

Officials said Wallace told police that he had been drinking and had sodomized the child with two fingers to get it to stop crying, causing injuries that were uncovered by the medical examiner.

We are told a 1-year-old girl was removed from Wallace's house and placed in the care of a maternal grandmother.

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