Man convicted of abusing a 2-year-old girl gets 15-year prison term

A US court handed a man a 15-year prison term after he was convicted of abusing a two-year-old girl.

Brenton William Reid had abused the little girl so severely that her internal organs had been damaged and she had tears in her intestines. He was given the maximum sentence for second degree child abuse.

While sentencing him on Monday, 5 February, Washington County Circuit Judge Mark K Boyer said: "The maximum sentence I can impose is 15 years. And you have earned every minute of it."

Boyer also apologised to the girl's family and said, "I can't make this 100 percent perfect", Herald Mail Media reported.

The 23-year-old was arrested in June 2016 when he called emergency services saying the toddler had fallen out of the bath and severely injured herself. However, after medical examination it was revealed that Reid's claims were wrong because the child had 18 injuries on her face, head and body along with severe injuries to her internal organs.

Upon investigation, Reid admitted to abusing the child. But medical tests could not confirm if the wounds were a result of anal rape by penetration or by a foreign object or both.

Reid's girlfriend Jennifer Buckler is also facing second-degree abuse and second degree assault charges after she admitted to hitting the girl. The 26-year-old's arrest came later because she was not at home when Reid called emergency personnel on 10 June 2016.

Buckler is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

In order to protect the identity of the child, it has not been revealed how she was related to the duo. She has undergone surgery for her injuries and is now living with her grandfather, who said she "frequently experiences night terrors".

"It's likely (she) will have similar issues the rest of her life," he added.