A Charleston man serving a home confinement sentence for a sexual assault conviction has been arrested after his 2-month-old son was hospitalized with serious injuries authorities say are consistent with abusive head trauma.
Jeremiah Gibson, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. Court records show he has been on home confinement serving a one- to five-year sentence after pleading guilty in April 2025 to third-degree sexual assault.
The infant remains in serious condition at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital after being admitted Feb. 16, according to Charleston police. A physician told detectives the child’s injuries were not consistent with Gibson’s claim that he accidentally dropped the baby, causing him to hit a countertop and fall onto a tile floor.
Police said the infant suffered two brain bleeds, two separate skull fractures, bilateral retinal hemorrhages and multiple other fractures — including both femurs — in various stages of healing. The baby experienced several seizures requiring intubation and was deprived of oxygen, resulting in a stroke and likely permanent neurological impairment, according to a criminal complaint filed by Detective Joseph Means.
Medical professionals advised investigators that the injuries were “highly consistent” with abusive head trauma, commonly known as shaken baby syndrome, and not with a short fall or accidental drop.
Authorities said Gibson provided multiple, inconsistent accounts of how the child was injured. A search warrant executed on his cellphone revealed deleted Google searches related to child neglect, forensic examinations, how child abuse charges proceed in West Virginia and how to respond to detectives during questioning.
Following his arrest, Kanawha County home confinement officers filed notice with the court requesting that Gibson not be released, citing the arrest as a violation of his home confinement conditions.
Gibson’s prior conviction stems from a July 2024 case in which he admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old girl and acknowledged knowing she was underage. He was later indicted on a felony charge of third-degree sexual assault, which carries a potential sentence of one to five years in prison, lifetime sex offender registration and extended supervision.
In April 2025, the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, led by Debra Rusnak, offered Gibson a binding plea agreement in exchange for a guilty plea. The agreement allowed him to serve his sentence on home confinement rather than in prison and required 10 years of supervised release and lifetime sex offender registration.
Stephanie Abraham sentenced Gibson under the terms of that agreement on April 15, 2025. The sentencing order permitted him to have contact with his child and any future biological children.
Police said the child abuse charge could be upgraded depending on the infant’s medical condition.
Gibson is being held at the South Central Regional Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 6.