PICKENS — The live-in boyfriend of a 6-month-old infant’s mother was arrested earlier this week after police allege he abused the baby to the point of hospitalization.

Benjamin Sean Lee Bolding, 25, of 235 B.D. Johnston Road in Central, was arrested last Thursday and charged with inflicting great bodily injury to a child. He was still being held Tuesday at the Pickens County Detention Center on a $20,000 surety bond.

According to an arrest warrant, police believe Bolding injured the 6-month-old girl while she was in his care, creating “a substantial risk of death” and requiring the child to be admitted to Greenville Memorial Hospital.

Pickens County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Creed Hashe said police were alerted by hospital staff that a child had been admitted on the morning of Dec. 17 with traumatic injuries to the head and face allegedly sustained while sleeping in a wooden crib. According to doctors, Hashe said, the injuries were inconsistent with the explanation given by the child’s caretaker.

Hashe said an investigation revealed the injuries occurred that morning while Bolding was home alone with the child. The girl’s mother was reportedly at work when the child was injured.

According to a news release from Hashe, pending the child’s release from the hospital, the Department of Social Services has developed a plan that includes removing the child from the home and temporary placement with other relatives pending additional investigation.