Easton Man Arrested for Child Abuse of His 14-Month Old Child
Talbot County, MD - An Easton man is facing serious criminal charges after a months-long investigation into the abuse of his 14-month-old child.
Joseph H. Bridge Jr., 25, of Easton, Maryland, was arrested on May 8, 2026, by the United States Marshals Service warrant apprehension team. He faces eight charges including First Degree Child Abuse, First Degree Assault, Reckless Endangerment, and Child Neglect.
The Talbot County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division opened the case on August 5, 2025. Investigators learned Bridge Jr., the child's biological father, had custody of the child from the morning of August 3 through the morning of August 5, 2025.
Bridge Jr. met the child's mother at a pediatrician's office in Centreville, Maryland on August 5 for a pre-scheduled appointment. The mother immediately noticed injuries on the child that were not there during the August 3 custody exchange.
The doctor found the child's injuries suspicious and referred the family to the University of Maryland Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown. Due to the serious nature of the injuries, the child was then transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins determined the injuries were "suspected non-accidental trauma."
Over the following months, investigators conducted dozens of interviews, reviewed electronic data, and built a timeline that pointed to Bridge Jr. as the person responsible for the child's injuries.
In April 2026, investigators presented their findings to a Talbot County Grand Jury. The grand jury returned an indictment, and a Talbot County Circuit Court arrest warrant was issued for Bridge Jr.
He was arrested in Delaware on May 8, 2026, and waived extradition. Members of the Criminal Investigations Division transported him back to Maryland on May 15, 2026. He was booked at the Talbot County Central Booking Facility and held without bond.
Bridge Jr. is expected to make an initial appearance before a Talbot County Circuit Court judge in the near future.
The investigation was assisted by the Talbot County Department of Social Services, Talbot County State's Attorney's Office, United States Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Sgt. S. Faggert at (410) 822-1020 or by email at sfaggert@talbotcountymd.gov. The Talbot County Sheriff's Office can also be reached at sheriff@talbotcountymd.gov, on Facebook at Talbot County Sheriff's Office, or at talbotsheriff.org.
Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.
