An Idaho father has been jailed after allegedly allowing his daughter to suffer and refusing doctors to save her during a life-threatening illness.
Joshua Bailey has been charged with aggravated battery to a child in connection with allegations that he refused to provide for his 10-year-old daughter. Her daughter has cerebral palsy and two feeding tubes, according to the East Idaho News.
Child Protective Services was called and helped get the girl the care she needed because of her father’s protests, according to court documents obtained by the agency. His condition is unknown at this time.
“Due to (the doctor’s) opinion that (her daughter) needed medical attention now or she was going to die, (law enforcement) imposed imminent danger and she could no longer refuse care,” court documents said in explaining why CPS was called in the first place.
Police learned of the condition when Bailey’s baby was brought to Idaho Falls Community Hospital on September 23, 2025, with severe bacterial infection, and life-threatening complications of sepsis. Bailey, 34, reportedly refused to let doctors examine her daughter or her feeding tubes, which could have been found to be the cause of the virus.
Doctors told police they tried to explain the possible dangers the girl faced and informed Bailey they believed she died of “an elevated heart rate and lack of oxygen leading to suffocation,” according to the documents.
Bailey is said to have been told that if her daughter “didn’t receive treatment immediately, her chances of dying increased by the hour.” Hospital staff also explained that his chance of dying increased by 10 percent for every hour he went untreated.
However, Bailey is said to have refused treatment and told doctors that “the hospital machines are causing these problems and he doesn’t need help.”
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“By his decision to refuse to care for his daughter, he was putting her life at risk,” police said, according to the documents.
Hospital staff called Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies to the hospital, saying there was a “potentially disgruntled parent.” Deputies then began an investigation into the matter, and a judge issued a warrant for Bailey’s arrest in December 2025. However, Bailey was not arrested until six months later in June.
Bailey was later released on Sunday, June 14, after posting a $25,000 bond. He is next expected to appear in court for a trial on July 1.
It is not yet clear whether Bailey has entered a plea or retained an attorney after his arrest. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond Us Weeklyrequest for comment on the case.
