Jackson man gets five years for child endangerment

The 20-year-old Jackson man accused of injuring a 2-month-old child pleaded guilty to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child Monday.

A judge sentenced Jeromy Lee McClanahand to five years in prison, Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said.

A probable-cause statement by Jackson Lt. Rodney Barnes said the child was taken to the hospital April 30 with a fever and an exam showed she had a broken clavicle. A doctor said the injury had happened within the previous week.

Children's Division investigator Carrie Patrick said the child's mother had given conflicting accounts of how the injury happened, the statement said. Patrick also said McClanahand abruptly left the hospital when he found out an investigator had been contacted. McClanahand had been living with the child's mother since February.

The mother said that three days before she took the infant to the hospital, she was in the shower while McClanahand watched her child. The mother said she heard the baby screaming. The infant continued to cry for several days, causing the mother to take her to the hospital, the statement said.

McClanahand committed the offense as he awaited charges in Madison County, Mo., on domestic assault, child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. He pleaded guilty to the latter two charges Thursday and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

jgamm@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

101 Court St., Jackson, MO