Man gets maximum term for child endangerment

The girl’s mother will be
sentenced Thursday.

YOUNGSTOWN — A man convicted by a jury last week of a misdemeanor child-endangering charge, in which the victim was a 2-year-old girl, has been sentenced to the time he’s already served in jail.

Judge Timothy E. Franken of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed 180 days on Ronald L. Henderson, 30, of Parkview Avenue — the maximum sentence for that crime — but noted that Henderson already had been jailed 196 days awaiting court action in this case.

The jury that convicted Henderson of the misdemeanor charge acquitted him of rape, felonious assault and a felony-level child endangering charge regarding the same girl.

The child was taken to Forum Health Tod Children’s Hospital on Jan. 8, 2006, with facial injuries and bruises on her legs and abdomen and on the bottom of her feet. After hospital staff discovered the girl had internal injuries, including bleeding, she was flown to Akron Children’s Hospital.

Henderson’s girlfriend, Genelle White, 26, of Dogwood Lane, the girl’s mother, pleaded guilty to child endangering and obstructing justice and testified against Henderson. White faces probation to a year in prison.

Dawn Krueger, assistant county prosecutor, said White waited too long to seek medical attention for her daughter, who suffered a cut liver, bruised pancreas and broken pelvis.

Krueger said she will recommend probation for White when she is sentenced at 8:30 a.m. Thursday because of her testimony against Henderson.