Ex-Pa. teacher gets up to 20 years in prison in baby assault

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — A former Erie-area middle school teacher has been sentenced to seven years, nine months to 20 years in prison for his conviction on aggravated assault and other charges for a fractured skull and brain injuries suffered by his 10-week-old son on Sept. 3.

Judge John Trucilla of Erie County Common Pleas Court imposed more than the five-year minimum sentence on Monday because Justin Beck blamed the injuries on his then-16-month-old daughter and the boy’s mother when he testified in May.

The Erie Times-News says Judge Trucilla called that testimony “not credible” and that it amounted to “obstruction of justice.”

The 25-year-old Beck, who lived in Millcreek Township, didn’t comment. Beck’s attorney says he didn’t want to “add to the misery and pain” of the child’s mother.

The boy has a seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, and may never walk because of his brain injuries.