Hardin County Case — Zachary Foster (2025)
Defendant: Zachary Foster, age 19
Location: Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Kentucky
Date of Arrest: November 2025
Arresting Agency: Hardin County Sheriff’s Office
Collaborating Agency: Kentucky Department of Child Protective Services (DCBS)
Status: In custody; case remains under active investigation
Charge:

First-degree criminal abuse of a child (12 or under)
Case Summary:
Authorities in Hardin County arrested Zachary Foster, 19, following a two-week investigation into severe injuries inflicted on an infant.

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and DCBS initiated the probe on October 28, 2025, after the baby was hospitalized with “significant injuries.”
Investigators interviewed both parents and multiple medical professionals before arresting Foster.
Details of the injuries have not yet been released publicly, but officials confirmed the case involves suspected physical abuse.
Foster is charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12 and remains detained while the investigation continues.
 
Why This Case Matters to Jayden’s Law

Infant Victim Protection: Reinforces the need for enhanced infant protection provisions, including automatic violent-offender classification for severe abuse of children under 12.
Law Enforcement Coordination: Highlights the effectiveness of joint sheriff–CPS investigations and the need for faster mandatory cross-agency reporting.
Sentencing Consistency:

Under current law, offenders charged with first-degree child abuse may receive as little as 10 years, sometimes reduced via plea bargains.
Jayden’s Law mandates Class A felony classification with no probation and ensures such cases qualify for violent-offender designation.
Custody Termination: Guarantees immediate and permanent loss of parental or custodial rights upon conviction for any act of physical abuse causing serious injury to a child.