A McHenry man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for battering his then-infant son four years ago, according to the McHenry County state’s attorney’s office.
DeShawn M. Wilson, 28, pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated battery to a child.
On July 17, 2022, paramedics responded to a call about an unresponsive infant, who was initially taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital before being airlifted to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital to treat a severe brain injury that required emergency surgery, prosecutors said.
Wilson had been caring for the 4-month-old child while his mother was at work, and admitted to police he had bounced and shaken the baby in an attempt to get him to sleep.
“This resolution holds Wilson accountable for the devastating and lasting injuries he caused his infant son,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said in a statement. “Our hope is that [the child’s family] can now move forward with their full attention where it belongs — on this child, his continued care, and his well-being.”