Idaho Father Jailed: Refused Life-Saving Treatment for Daughter, 10

A father in Idaho has been arrested after he allegedly let his daughter suffer and refused to let doctors save her while she was dealing with a life-threatening infection.

Joshua Bailey has been charged with felony injury to a child in connection with allegations that he refused to provide medical care for his 10-year-old daughter. His daughter has cerebral palsy and two feeding tubes, according to East Idaho News.

Child Protective Services was called in and assisted with getting the girl the care she needed in light of her father’s protests, according to court documents obtained by the outlet. The status of her health is not currently known.

"Due to the (doctor's) opinion that (his daughter) needs medical care now or she will die, (law enforcement is) enforcing imminent danger and he did not have the ability to refuse care anymore," court documents said while explaining why CPS was called in the first place.

Police learned of the situation when Bailey's child was brought to Idaho Falls Community Hospital on September 23, 2025, with a serious bacterial infection, as well as life-threatening sepsis complications. Bailey, 34, reportedly refused to let doctors run tests on his daughter or her feeding tubes, which could have determined what caused the infection.

Doctors told police that they tried to explain the potential dangers the girl was facing and they informed Bailey that they believed she had gone septic due to an "elevated heart rate and depleted oxygen supply that was causing choking spells," per the documents.

Bailey was allegedly told that if his daughter "did not get treatment soon, her odds of dying went up significantly every hour." The hospital staff also explained that her chance of dying increased 10 percent for each hour she wasn’t treated.

However, Bailey allegedly refused treatment and told the doctors that "the hospital machines were causing these issues and she did not need any help.”

"With his decision to refuse care for his daughter, he was placing her life in imminent danger," police said, per the documents.

Hospital staff called deputies with the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office to the hospital, saying that there was a "potential disgruntled parent." Deputies then launched an investigation into the matter, and a judge issued an arrest warrant for Bailey in December 2025. However, Bailey was not taken into custody until six months later in June.

Bailey was later released on Sunday, June 14, after he posted a $25,000 bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 1.

It is not currently clear if Bailey has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.