Dad found guilty of assaulting 7-week-old son (Nitro, West Virginia)

Once again, this wasn't just a little shaking going on. This baby had a fractured skull and other injuries as well. Dad IAN KESSINGER has blamed drug usage. He's been sentenced to 3 - 15 years in prison.

I hope the mother is successful in her attempt to block this guy from ever seeing her kids again. But that's increasingly hard to do in today's father-friendly court environment.

http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/201108301286

Tuesday August 30, 2011

Father guilty of shaking baby sentenced to prison

Nitro man gets three to 15 years for child abuse

by Cheryl Caswell
Daily Mail staff
Charleston Daily Mail

NITRO, W.Va.-- A Nitro man who shook his 7-week-old baby so hard he caused multiple injuries will spend three to 15 years in prison.

Ian Kessinger, 30, apologized in court for hurting the child. He blamed his actions on his problems with drugs.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman on Tuesday sentenced Kessinger to one to five years in prison for child abuse causing injury and two to 10 years in prison for child abuse causing serious injury, saying he regretted that the law did not allow tougher penalties for such crimes.

Those sentences will be served consecutively. Kessinger will be given credit for 203 days he has spent in jail since he was arrested in February.

Assistant Prosecutor Tera Salango asked the judge for the maximum penalty possible.

The child's mother, Emily Sayre, 31, of Nitro also pleaded with Kaufman to send Kessinger to prison. She wept as she told the judge that she had obtained a permanent protective order against Kessinger and never wanted him to have contact with her children again.

Sayre said after the hearing that she was "beyond thrilled" with the sentence.

"I can't thank the police and prosecutors enough for getting justice for my son," she said.

Police arrested Kessinger after doctors at Women's and Children's Hospital discovered the baby boy had a fractured skull, clavicle and wrist along with internal bleeding.