A Carthage man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree child abuse in the death of a 3-year-old boy.

Jerry  Penticuff entered the plea agreement Wednesday. He had been charged with second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death after the death of Ethan Warner of Nevada.

Prosecutors say Ethan's mother left him and his two sisters in Penticuff's care in October 2014. When she returned, she found her son suffering from severe burns that emergency room staff at a Nevada hospital believed was caused by the boy being set in scalding hot water. Ethan died four days later at Kansas City hospital.

The Joplin Globe reports Penticuff told investigators the boy fell into the hot water but evidence did not support that claim.

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