A Carney man charged with felony child abuse has pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
Austin McDougal, 22, was charged in Lincoln County District Court Feb. 26, 2024 with one count of child abuse. He made his initial appearance on Feb. 29 before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk.
The judge had set his bond at $50,000 and as a condition of the bond he was to not be alone with any person under the age of 18.
Appearing recently before District Judge Sarah Bridge, she advised McDougal that his charge was an 85 percent crime.
McDougal, as the result of a plea bargain, withdrew his previous plea and pleaded guilty. The judge received the plea. The state and defendant waived a pre-sentence investigation.
The judge found him guilty of the charge and sentenced McDougal to 20 years in the Department of Corrections with all time suspended except the first five years. She also fined him $100, assessed a $100 VCA, court costs and 991 fees.
Judge Bridge ordered the sentence to run concurrent with another charge and placed McDougal on supervised probation with DOC.
He was further ordered to report to the Probation Office within 10 days of his release and to report to the Court Clerk’s Office within 180 days of his release.
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Trimble prosecuted the case for the state and attorney Kimberly Miller represented McDougal.
McDougal was accused on Feb. 21 of this year of threatening harm to an infant by holding the infant’s face down in a pillow.