Greene Co. man pleads guilty after admitting to abusing 6-year-old daughter
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — John Kraft pled guilty to charges of aggravated assault after admitting to abusing his 6-year-old daughter.
In October of 2022, Kraft was arrested after that little girl told police her dad would bury her in the yard of their home when he thought she was lying.
A Greene County social worker also reported severe bruising on the girl's face and body. At the time of the arrest, county officials called it one of the worst cases of child abuse they'd ever seen.
Kraft pled guilty to aggravated assault of a child, strangulation and child endangerment. He will now spend the next 4-to-10 years in jail.
Greene Co. DA Dave Russo tells me it’s one of the worst child abuse cases he’s seen. Police arrested John Kraft of Waynesburg for allegedly abusing his 6y/o daughter who suffered severe bruising. Police say he beat her w/a belt & buried her alive in the yard in a hole. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/MrkDRdVoZj
— Jennifer Borrasso (@JenBorrasso) October 25, 2022
The Greene County district attorney said it's one of the worst child abuse cases he's ever seen.
"The allegations are that this child was beaten brutally, that the child had bruises all over her body, that she was choked to the point that she had passed out," Greene County District Attorney David Russo said. "She was buried in a hole as punishment. She was thrown in a hole overnight. Her head was slammed off the wall and slammed off the floor. This is a barbaric situation."
The girl told investigators that Kraft often beat her with a belt and his arm, which has a metal rod in it from surgery, police said. Authorities said they documented that the girl's body was covered in old and new bruises.
"My office has always taken a strong stance against child abuse," Russo said. "We will not tolerate it in our county, and this individual will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."