Man convicted of fatally beating boy gets life sentence

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man convicted of beating a 14-month-old boy to death and tossing his body into a creek with the help of the child’s mother has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 19 years.

A judge sentenced 27-year-old Kurt Flood on Thursday in Columbus. A jury earlier found Flood guilty of charges including murder and corpse abuse in Cameron Beckford’s 2014 death.

Cameron’s mother told jurors Flood repeatedly struck her son with a hairbrush to “beat the demons out of him.” She has pleaded guilty to charges including involuntary manslaughter.

Flood testified he didn’t beat Cameron but helped the mother dispose of the body.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Beckford declined to comment at his sentencing. A message seeking comment was left for his attorney.

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The Associated Press