LISBON — A 27-year-old father, who abused his 5-month-old infant, was sentenced to between five and seven years in prison on Friday by Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.

Sean Hicks, East Third Street, Salem, had taken responsibility for what happened, according to his defense attorney Joseph King, who added he did not know that there was any explanation for the facts of this case. He had pleaded guilty to felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and two counts of endangering children, one a second-degree felony and the other a third-degree felony.

Hicks told the judge this has taken too long and it has been over a year and half since he has seen either of his children.

“It’s been rough,” Hicks said. “I made a mistake and it’s not only affected me, but it’s affected them and their mother.”

Bickerton said there is no excuse for what happened.

“What happened to your son is unforgivable, 5-months-old, rib fractures, hematomas on his brain, bruising,” Bickerton said. “You admitted to smacking him in the face…a monster did that.”

Bickerton said the child also had forceable rotation of the head and squeezing of the head. While she said she understands being a parent is hard and sleep depriving, Bickerton said she did not see that or an excuse that Hicks had a tough upbringing as valid for what happened.

“Never in a million years does your defenseless son deserve that,” she said.

She was also troubled by Hicks’ explanation that he had dropped the child, yet neither he nor the child’s mother took the baby to the hospital to be checked. She noted they did nothing. The baby began having seizures. She questioned the possible long-term effects of what happened.

Bickerton sentenced Hicks to four years minimum with up to six years in prison for the first two counts. One of the charges was for the assault on Sept. 7, 2020, and the other was for abuse that had begun on Aug. 21 and continued through that date. She added an additional year for count three, which was for failing to protect the child on Sept. 7, 2020.

She urged him to take advantage of the programs available at the prison adding “You need help. You need to figure out how this was even possible… You need to figure out how you made the choices you made and how to make sure they never happen again.”

The child’s mother, Chasity Buckius, 25, Southeast Boulevard, Salem, was sentenced in February by Judge Scott Washam. She was placed on four-years community control including spending up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon after pleading guilty to a third-degree felony endangering children charge for failing to protect her son.

djohnson@mojonews.com