‘Darkest kind of betrayal.’ Macon father who abused 1-year-old son sentenced to prison
A father who pleaded guilty to abusing his son will serve a decade in prison, prosecutors for the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office said.
Timmy Dwayne Kemp Jr. was indicted in August 2022 with one count of cruelty to children after he caused his 1-year-old boy “cruel and excessive physical pain by causing bruising, lacerations and burns” after a weekend visit, court records show. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 17, prosecutors said, and Macon Judge Ken Smith sentenced him to 10 years in prison and five years probation.
“The physical and emotional trauma inflicted on this innocent child represents the darkest kind of betrayal,” said Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard.
The 1-year-old boy returned home to his mother after spending the weekend with his father covered in burns, lacerations, carpet burns and bruises, the district attorney’s office said. The boy’s mother also had discovered burns on the crown of his head, back and extremities.
When confronted, Kemp claimed the child had fallen from a kiddie pool. But medical evidence suggested that the injuries were intentional, including what appeared to be cigar burns on the child’s body, according to the DA’s office.
Kemp can no longer be in contact with his son or the mother without legitimization as part of his sentence. He entered into a blind plea before Smith and refused to provide details of how the injuries were inflicted.
“While no sentence can undo the harm this child endured, we hope this resolution provides a measure of protection and allows the healing process to begin,” Howard said.
