BUTLER TWP — A township man police say confessed to striking his infant son's head off a bedroom wall on June 19 has been ordered to stand trial on aggravated assault and other charges.

District Judge Kevin O'Donnell held for court all charges against Tyler G. Duddy, 25, following a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Duddy was charged last week with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person after his infant son, known in court proceedings as “C.K.,” was placed in the critical care unit June 20 at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

The child had been under close observation by a local pediatrician's office for “failure to thrive,” and had spent about a week at Children's from June 10 to June 17, before suffering the injuries, according to a police affidavit.

A Totin Family Services driver assisting with transporting the child to and from the pediatrician's office for weigh-ins noticed eye injuries when she arrived at Duddy's home on June 20, and doctors observed other injuries to the infant later that day and began questioning Duddy about who had been caring for the child.

Butler Township Police Detective Thomas Vensel testified that Duddy told police and family members multiple lies about how the child's injuries occurred before acknowledging that he hit the child's head off a wall in his apartment at Old Plank Estates along Old Plank Road.

Whether there was intent behind that act is under contention between Assistant District Attorney Christine Studeny and public defender Terri Schultz.

Duddy told police that he picked the child up from a bassinet and was swinging him around when the injury occurred accidentally.

Dr. Jennifer Wolford of Children's Hospital, who specializes in forensic child abuse investigations, testified via video that she didn't believe that explanation.

Wolford said the number and nature of the child's injuries, which included skull fractures, facial bruising, bleeding above his brain and a fractured rib, make that impossible.

“We have seven different injuries. There was not going to be a reasonable explanation,” Wolford testified in response to questions from Schultz about what different injuries indicate and how she determines the likelihood of abuse.

Wolford testified that the child was likely to suffer long-term effects from some of the injuries.

Vensel testified that Duddy was “frustrated,” “mad,” and “at his breaking point,” over effectively being a single parent to the child, something Schultz called “irrelevant” to Thursday's court proceedings.

“Just because a parent is frustrated with a child doesn't mean they will abuse that child, correct?” Schultz said.

Studeny declined to comment on the case following Thursday's hearing, while Schultz reiterated that she believes Duddy is innocent of the charges and expects to take the case to trial.

“In all honesty, I'm sure that it was caused accidentally, and that my client in no way intended to hurt his child,” she said.

The child's great aunt, Sherrie Lipka, who was one of numerous family members in attendance Thursday, said she was filing for kinship custody and welcomes a trial.

“I hope justice is served,” Lipka said.