An Idaho father allegedly inflicted severe injuries on his infant son by pouring scalding hot water over him, resulting in second-degree burns covering nearly a quarter of the child’s body. The father, Christopher Stum, 34, reportedly attempted to warm his 1-month-old son after a bath by “air-drying” him, but when that failed, he resorted to the drastic measure, according to police reports.

Stum now faces felony charges of injuring a child and tampering with evidence, as indicated by online court records. According to court documents accessed by East Idaho News, Stum altered the water heater settings in his home from 150 to 121 degrees Fahrenheit. This adjustment was allegedly made to deceive authorities before he sought medical help for his son on January 22.

As the sole parent present at the time, Stum explained to investigators that his son appeared cold after a bath, prompting him to fill a pitcher with hot water from the faucet and pour it over the child. He admitted to trying to assess the water’s temperature by dipping his finger into it, claiming he did not initially think it would harm the infant. However, he later conceded that the water was indeed scalding hot.

The situation took a dire turn when the child began to scream in pain as his skin reddened and started peeling. Recognizing the severity of the burns, Stum rushed his son to the emergency room, where medical staff treated the boy for burns on 24% of his body.

Following the incident, authorities launched an investigation and interviewed Stum, who allegedly confessed to pouring the hot water on his son. This shocking case highlights the critical importance of proper care and caution when tending to young children. The legal proceedings against Stum continue as the community grapples with the disturbing details of this case.

Authorities were notified and interviewed Stum, who allegedly admitted to pouring the water on the victim. He claimed to have put his finger in the pitcher to test the heat, saying he didn’t believe it would burn the boy, before eventually admitting that it was scalding, the East Idaho News reports, citing the court docs.

Police went to Stum’s home and allegedly found that the water heater was at 121 degrees. He later confessed to cops that he had adjusted the water heater, as doctors reported that the burns his son suffered were likely from water that was between 130 and 150 degrees, the court docs state.

Stum allegedly admitted that he knew the water in his home heated up fast and recounted instances where he, himself, was burned by it. He was arrested and booked at the Bonneville County Jail, with a preliminary hearing date set for Feb. 11, according to court records.