Casper Man Sentenced To Probation For First Time Child Abuse Felony
A man who was pleaded guilty to a felony child abuse charge for spanking a child at his wife's day care facility was sentenced to one to three years of supervised probation during a hearing in Natrona County District Court on Thursday.
David Leroy Lang, 58, heard the sentence from District Judge Daniel Forgey, who accepted the terms of the plea agreement submitted in May by Assistant District Attorney Mike Schafer and defense attorney Joseph Cole.
Forgey told Lang that he will receive first-time offender status, and the felony charge would be dismissed if he successfully completes the probationary term.
If the case had gone to trial and he was convicted, he could have faced up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The case began in September when the then 3-year-old child was taken to the Wyoming Medical Center, and a doctor reported what appeared to be unusual injuries on his buttocks and inner thighs.
Police interviewed the parents who said they used a child-care service operated by Lang's wife.
During a forensic interview at the Children's Advocacy Project, the child claimed he was hurt after sliding down stairs at the house where the daycare operated.
Lang told a detective that the victim had been "beating" another child with a toy, and continued to do so despite Lang's admonitions.
So, Lang said, he spanked the child on the backside one time and put him in the corner. After the child continued to misbehave, Lang said, he spanked him once more and told him to sit on the couch.