A Wesson man accused of felony child abuse was sentenced toserve 25 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Lincoln CountyCircuit Court Monday, officials said.

Bruce Arnold Jenkins, 28, of 2369 Sunset Road, Wesson, wasconvicted on felony child abuse charges pertaining to injuriessustained by his infant son during 2008. He was sentenced to 30years, with 25 to serve and five years of probation.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Dustin Bairfield saiddoctors said the child had taken on abuse from the time he was bornuntil he was about 6 months old, when he was taken in by theDepartment of Human Services.

“I’m glad to have it over with, because when you hear the case andgo through the facts, it’s real emotional,” Bairfield said.

Bairfield said investigators were alerted to the child’s injuriesby the Department of Human Services.

He had been taken to King’s Daughters Medical Center with trauma,and had to be transported to the University of Mississippi MedicalCenter. Upon investigation, the child was found to have batteredchild syndrome, a condition described by doctors as injuriessustained by a child as a result of physical abuse, usuallyinflicted by an adult caregiver.

“It’s a very tough case dealing with a child like that, I’m justglad we were able to get some justice for the child,” said SheriffSteve Rushing. “Kids are defenseless, and somebody’s got to standup for them.”

Also implicated in the crime was the child’s mother, Jessica Durr,who pled to willfully permitting the ongoing abuse of a child inAugust of 2009 and is serving two years in prison.

Bairfield said Jenkins did account for some of the injuries, butmaintained that he did not cause them all.

“Bruce Jenkins never wanted to fully admit to all the injuries,” hesaid. “Whether it was anger or a possibility of, by his own words,saying he was hooked on some pain pills, it was no excuse.”