Ella Grayce Pointer, the 21-month-old Georgia girl whose death in late October sparked social media outrage, was molested, according to new details released Thursday.
And authorities have charged her mother's boyfriend with murder, aggravated child molestation and other offenses in connection with the alleged crimes.
Dustin Drew Putnal, 27, was already in custody at the Polk County jail on a probation violation when the new charges were filed Wednesday, sheriff Johnny Moats told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The new charges came more than one month after emergency officials found Ella unresponsive at a Cedartown apartment. She was taken to Polk Medical Center, then flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, The AJC reported.
It was there that medical personnel discovered she had been sexually assaulted, according to the Rome News-Tribune. She also had severe head trauma.
Ella died Oct. 30. After her death, "JusticeforEllaGrayce" became a hashtag, with social media users sending prayers to the family and wondering what happened to the toddler.
Putnal lived with Ella and her mother, the News-Tribune reported. She was left in the care of Putnal and an unidentified roommate while her mother was at work.
In addition to one count of murder and two counts of aggravated child molestation, new charges against Putnal include one count of felony murder, one count of aggravated battery, one count of child cruelty and two counts of aggravated sexual battery, said Jack Browning, who is the district attorney for the judicial circuit that includes Polk.
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