A Russell County man has been sentenced to a little over three years in prison in a child abuse case involving a 5-month-old girl.

According to the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, 33-year-old James Z.T. Rhodes of Paradise, Kansas, was sentenced to 41 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections. Rhodes pled guilty in the case earlier this year.

After the 5-month-old victim was transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with life-threatening injuries on July 23, 2024, Rhodes admitted to becoming angry with the victim and throwing her into her crib. He also admitted to forcefully striking the infant’s forehead with his open hand.

“Our job is to protect the most vulnerable,” said Assistant Attorney General Nicole Southall, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. “Holding the abuser accountable before a homicide occurred is a fundamental step in our pursuit of justice for this child.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation investigated the crime.