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25 years recommended for child abuse

Richmond Register - 3/3/2017

March 03--The state wants former babysitter Bessie Perkins, 35, of Fireside Drive, Richmond, to serve 25 years in prison for deliberately causing severe injury to two infants in her care.

The recommendation came Thursday in Madison Circuit Court after Perkins pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree assault and two counts of first-degree criminal abuse (child younger than 12).

If Judge William G. Clouse accepts the prosecution's recommendation, Perkins will be sentenced to 15 years on the assault charge and 10 years for the abuse charges, to be served consecutively.

She would have to serve 85 percent of the 15-year term and 20 percent of the 10-year-term before becoming eligible for parole, according to Assistant Madison Commonwealth's Attorney Jennifer Smith.

Perkins has remained in the Madison County Detention Center since Nov. 24.

The victims included:

--A boy, then 4 months old, who suffered permanent neurological damage from being violently shaken at least three times.

--A girl, then 9 months old, who suffered leg fractures on two separate occasions.

The children were unrelated but their parents are friends, Smith said. Perkins began baby sitting for one couple in June and then began caring for their friends' child in September, the prosecutor added.

Discovered in mid-November, the crimes were investigated by Kentucky State Police, Smith said.

The judge scheduled sentencing for 9 a.m.March 24.

Sentence Imposed

In other circuit court action Thursday, Cody Bergner, 22, of South Killarney Lane, Richmond, pleaded guilty and accepted an immediate sentence of three years for one count of convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

The charge was reduced from convicted felon in possession of a handgun. A charge of attempted first-degree burglary was dismissed.

Bergner has remained in jail since Aug. 8.

His co-defendant, Tyler D. Gibbs, 24, of Foxhaven Drive, Richmond, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and was sentenced Feb. 24 to three years in prison.

Reach Bill Robinson at 624-6608

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(c)2017 the Richmond Register (Richmond, Ky.)

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