Father accused of deliberately leaving son to die in hot car sent for trial in Georgia, US
Prosecutors in US state of Georgia say accused had 'wanted to lead a child-free life'
A man accused of intentionally killing his 22-month-old son by leaving him in a hot car had read articles about living a child-free life and was "sexting" with six women while his son died, police in the southern United States told a court hearing in which a judge ordered the case to trial.
Justin Ross Harris, 33, also had two life insurance policies on his son, Cooper, and had twice watched a video about overheating deaths in cars before his son died, according to police testimony given on Thursday in the court in Atlanta, Georgia.
Judge Frank Cox found that prosecutors had presented enough evidence to try Harris for murder and child cruelty.
Harris' lawyer argued that his client had been distracted, and that prosecutors had only brought up the sexting to "publicly shame" Harris, who is married. Two of Harris' friends and his brother testified he seemed to be a loving father.
"We plan to show he wanted to lead a child-free life," assistant district attorney Chuck Boring told the court.
"He's got this whole second life he's living with alternate personalities and alternate personas" with his sexual activities online.
