43
Geidner gets 2 years for abuse of 5-year-old girl
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A man who pleaded guilty to the abuse of his girlfriend’s child was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison.
Judge Shirley J. Christian handed down the sentence in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to Beau Geidner, 27, of Fourth Street in Struthers, after he entered a guilty plea July 11 to a second-degree felony count of endangering children.
The sentence was agreed upon by assistant Prosecutor Jennifer McLaughlin and defense attorney John Juhasz.
Geidner and the child’s mother, Lisa Marenkovic, also 27, were arrested in February after police were called because the 5-year-old child had not showed up at school for several days.
When police searched their home they found the girl had several bruises and was malnourished and dehydrated.
The girl’s mother also pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced at a later date. She also is expected to receive two years.
McLaughlin said the sentence is a good one because the girl would have had difficulty testifying because of her young age and also because she would have to testify against her own mother. The child is in the custody of relatives, McLaughlin said.
Juhasz asked Judge Christian to uphold the recommended sentence, saying his client’s involvement was not as bad as the mother’s, but he was involved with some of it, and the sentence is one that punishes him adequately and fairly. Juhasz also said his client did not want to make the victim go through a trial.
Geidner also apologized.
“I take responsibility for my actions,” Geidner said. “I can promise you and this court this will never happen again.”
Geidner was given credit for 163 days served in the county jail while awaiting for his case to be disposed.