WEST JORDAN — Third District Judge Royal Hansen has bound over for trial a Taylorsville man accused of child abuse.

Eric Jones, 34, waived his right to a preliminary hearing last week.

Jones, 34, is accused of scalding his 1-year-old boy Nov. 1, 2006, according to court documents. Jones was watching the child while the child's mother ran errands. She returned, took a shower, then heard her son making noise. As she unwrapped the blanket from Malicah Marsalis' body, she noticed burns that covered 50 percent of his small body, court documents state.

She raced him to a local medical clinic, and a helicopter flew him to a burn unit, according to court documents. The father had left the house when the burns were discovered, and police said he failed to report for questioning that night.

"Due to the status of the case and nature of the situation, I do not believe it would be in his best interest to proceed with the preliminary hearing," said Jones' attorney, Darwin Overson.

Both prosecutor Chris Bown and Overson want to meet with the doctor who witnessed the baby's wounds before the trial.

The pretrial conference is set for Aug. 6.