Man gets 10 years for the death of girlfriend's infant daughter

11:28 AM, Sep 15, 2012   |    comments
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A central Florida man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the death of his girlfriend's infant daughter.

An Orange County judge sentenced 23-year-old Lonnie Leonard Jr. on Friday after he pleaded no contest to aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Authorities say Leonard initially reported that 6-month-old Malloree Tatum had fallen off a bed in November 2010. But a medical examiner said the injuries could not have possibly been caused from a fall from that height. They were more consistent with shaken-baby syndrome.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Leonard's plea bargain allowed a sentence up to 20 years in prison. But the judge decided on the minimum after family members - including the baby's mother - testified that Leonard would not have hurt the child on purpose.

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