Left: Jessica Oster. Right: James Oster (Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department).
A couple from Pennsylvania is facing serious charges after allegedly assaulting their 4-month-old son. Authorities reported that the infant was admitted to a hospital with severe bruising over his entire body and a split lip.
Jessica Oster, 26, admitted to police officers that she grew frustrated with her son’s crying, leading her to forcefully insert a bottle into his mouth. This information was provided by the Northern Lancaster County Police Department.
According to the charging documents accessible through the LNP newspaper, Oster initially told authorities she had left the baby alone for 20 to 30 minutes with the bottle before discovering his injuries. She later confessed to aggressively forcing the bottle into his mouth in a moment of frustration.
The infant’s father, James Oster, reportedly admitted to causing bruises while bathing the child. The documents reveal that he confessed to squeezing the baby’s head and tilting it back to prevent submersion while the child was face-down in the water.
In a statement released by the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department, they detailed the incident, stating, “On April 22nd, 2026, UPMC Lititz Hospital contacted us regarding a suspected child abuse case involving a 4-month-old with concerning bruises and a split lip.” Medical experts characterized the injuries as a lip laceration, bruising, and a tear in the upper frenulum, along with bruises and abrasions on the body.
When questioned about the cause of the bruises, Jessica Oster suggested they might have been caused either by her husband during bath time or the child’s bouncy seat. She mentioned that they often left him in the seat with a bottle supported by a blanket to feed him while they were in another room, according to the documents filed.
Investigators examined the bouncy seat and reported a strong smell of urine and urine stains soaked through to the bottom of the seat.
“As a result of the investigation, Jessica Oster was charged with aggravated assault (2 counts), simple assault, endangering the welfare of children (2 counts), and recklessly endangering another person,” the NLCRPD release says. “James Oster was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of children (2 counts), and recklessly endangering another person.”
Police have referred all questions about who currently has custody of the boy to the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency. The agency has not responded to requests for comment.
The Osters are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
