“Jamilee Hunt failed … as a caretaker, a guardian and a protector, and I am
disturbed by her crimes," the county prosecutor said after the woman's conviction on April 24
Credit: Summit County Prosecutor’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- Jamilee Hunt, 38, was found guilty of raping and abusing her boyfriend Jason Santos’ 11-month-old baby daughter on April 24
- She faces a life sentence
- Santos, also 38, pleaded guilty to similar crimes and was sentenced to life in prison on April 21
A woman faces a life sentence after being found guilty of raping and abusing her boyfriend's baby daughter.
Jamilee Hunt, 38, of Hudson Falls, N.Y., was found guilty of raping and abusing an 11-month-old infant in her care while living at a Red Roof Inn in Springfield Township, Ohio, according to a press release issued by Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich on Friday, April 24.
The baby's father — and Hunt's co-defendant — Jason Santos, also 38 and from Hudson Falls, pleaded guilty last week to similar charges and was sentenced to life in prison, per the release.
A Summit County jury found Hunt guilty of multiple felony charges, including one count of rape of a child under 13; five counts of felonious assault; one count of endangering children by torture or cruel abuse; one count of endangering children by creating substantial risk to the health or safety of the child; and one count of endangering children.
The charges stem from a November 2024 incident in which Springfield Township police officers responded to a call at the Red Roof Inn for an unresponsive 11-month-old infant, per the release. Santos and Hunt, who identified herself as "Nicole Abare" at the time, claimed that the baby had suddenly stopped breathing.
Credit: Getty
While performing lifesaving measures on the child, officers observed "extensive bruising and other signs of physical abuse," the prosecutor's office said.
The female infant, who was deemed to be in "critical condition," was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital, where doctors and social workers found that she had "multiple rib fractures, fractures to her arms and legs, and significant bruising, injuries inconsistent with the explanation provided by Santos and Abare," per the release.
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"Many of the fractures were in various stages of healing, indicating prolonged abuse," the prosecutor's office said.
At the scene, Abare and Santos claimed to officers that the baby's injuries were caused by their dog jumping on her,
"an explanation that differed from their initial statements and was inconsistent with medical findings."
Credit: Summit County Prosecutor’s Office
Investigators later determined that "Nicole Abare" was a false identity and identified the woman as Jamilee Hunt.
Further medical evaluation of the infant revealed that she suffered a traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding resulting in hemorrhagic shock and a broken clavicle, according to the prosecutor's office. Doctors also discovered evidence consistent with rape and sexual assault.
In a statement, Kolkovich said that Hunt "failed" the child.
"She failed as a caretaker, a guardian and a protector, and I am disturbed by her crimes and inability to take responsibility for her role in the abuse and torture of this infant,” he added. “Against daunting odds, the child is alive, safe and continuing to heal with her new guardian, and our hearts go out to her and her family as she grows up.”
Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6.
In a statement after Santos' sentencing on April 21, Kolkovich said the father "betrayed [his daughter] in the most heinous and cruel way imaginable."
Santos will be eligible for parole after 55 to 59 years, per the prosecutor's office. He has also been designated as a Tier III sex offender.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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