Tyler James Deutsch
Tyler James Deutsch is accused of putting his baby in a freezer to stop her crying (imerkouri/Twitter)

A man has been accused of placing his six-week-old baby in a freezer for about an hour to stop her crying.

Tyler James Deutsch, 25, from the city of Roy in Washington, has been charged with two counts of child assault, criminal mistreatment and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.

The baby was placed in a freezer set at minus 12C and prosecutors say her core body temperature fell to 29C - she was only wearing a nappy when she was shut inside the freezer.

She also suffered a broken arm and leg, including an head injury, CBS Seattle reported.

Her mother had left her alone with Deutsch between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. According to court papers, Deutsch admitted putting the baby in the freezer - saying "he was tired and she was crying".

He then fell asleep and was removing the child from the freezer when the baby's mother returned.

Deutsch is also accused of trying to take the phone away from the mother when she tried to call for help - she eventually took the baby to a neighbour's where she was able to contact the authorities.

Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist said doctors believe the baby will survive the ordeal but it is too early to tell if there will be any future complications.

Deutsch pleaded not guilty to the charges and his bail was set at $1m (£659,000). He will appear in court on 15 July and could face life in prison if convicted, according to NBC.