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9-month-old West Virginia baby dies after ‘worst case of sex assault’ in decades

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RIPLEY, W.Va. — A 9-month-old baby has died after she was allegedly raped by a 32-year-old man in West Virginia, according to officials.

Jackson County officials say this incident was the worst sexual assault case they’ve seen in two decades, according to WCHS.

Benjamin Taylor, 32, was found Monday morning with the child in the basement of an apartment he shared with his girlfriend, who is the mother of the baby. The baby was unresponsive and covered with blood, officials say.

Family members tell West Virginia Metro News that the baby was clinically brain-dead with no hope of waking up.

Taylor will now face a murder charge on top of the count of first-degree sexual assault. Authorities say Taylor had a criminal record, but a motive was not yet known.

Taylor is in jail under a $2 million bond.

The investigation is ongoing.