A Georgia man will spend at least 15 years in prison after beating two young children in 2023, then hiding them while their injuries heal.
A Catoosa County jury found 24-year-old Dillan Michael Tennant guilty of two counts of first-degree cruelty to children on Wednesday. Two days later, Catoosa County Superior Court Judge Chris Arnt sentenced him to serve 30 years, with at least 15 years behind bars in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
According to the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Tennant, who lived at home with his parents in Ringgold, became furious while supervising his 2-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter after they reportedly created a mess in their bedroom.
Tennant struck both children over two days while using a board to hit his son. He then left and took the children to a friend’s house in an attempt to conceal the injuries, then returned home a few days later.
“Tenant became enraged because while failing to properly supervise the children, they made a mess in the bedroom,” the DA’s office said. “Tennant struck the children repeatedly over the course of two days.”
His scheme unraveled upon returning home after the victims’ grandparents saw their unhealed injuries and contacted police. When questioned by investigators, Tennant denied hurting the children while alleging that another family member must have been responsible for the crime.
During the trial, child welfare advocates remarked that the bruises on the two children were “some of the worst that had been seen in their career,” Law&Crime reports.
A doctor testified that repetitive strikes with significant force caused the injuries and that the injuries were not accidental.
In addition to the sentence,t Tennant must refrain from contact with his children and is not allowed unsupervised contact with other children.
“This child abuser will have plenty of time to clean his room in the Department of Corrections,” District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller said.
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[Feature Photo: Dillan Tennant/Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office]
