OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) — Anthony Ciliberti, Jr., Prosecuting Attorney for Fayette County, announced on Monday, January 23, 2023, an Oak Hill man was sentenced to prison for the felony offense of abusing an infant.

Carson L. Blankenship, age 21 of Oak Hill, was sentenced by Chief Judge Paul M. Blake, Jr., to two to ten years in prison for the felony crime of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, and one to ten years in prison for the felony crime of child neglect resulting in serious bodily injury. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, meaning Blankenship will serve a maximum sentence of twenty years.

On September 3, 2019, police and child protective services responded to Raleigh General Hospital after the parents brought their baby to the emergency department with a swollen leg. The seven-week-old infant was eventually admitted to Women & Children’s Hospital where testing confirmed that the infant’s ribs and leg had healing fractures that were at least seven days old. Blankenship eventually admitted that he squeezed and shook the baby out of frustration.

Blankenship must serve a minimum of three years in prison before he is eligible for parole. Blankenship pled guilty to the preceding felony charges on March 10, 2022. This crime was investigated by the West Virginia State Police.