A Batavia man will go to prison for causing permanent injuries to his girlfriend’s infant son.

Kane County Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti on April 24 sentenced 24-year-old Anthony B. Briden to a sentence of 13 years’ imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Anthony B. Briden

Briden on Dec. 5, 2018, pleaded guilty to the offenses of:

• Aggravated battery to a child younger than 13 causing permanent disability, a Class X felony.
• Aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony.

Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney William Engerman stated in court that at about 2:30 a.m. March 5, 2016, the victim, an infant, had been sleeping in a bouncy chair next to the victim’s bed at the Elgin residence they shared with the infant’s mother. The victim awoke to be fed.

Briden grabbed the victim by the right ankle and swung him onto the bed, breaking the infant’s leg.

On March 8, 2016, Briden was alone with the victim and another child when the victim began to cry. Briden placed the victim on his knee, grabbed the victim’s arms near his shoulders and shook the victim to quiet him. About four hours later, the victim began to have seizures.

The next day, Briden and victim’s mother took the victim to the hospital, where doctors determined that the victim had suffered a severe brain injury and broken ribs.

As a result of the injuries, the victim cannot speak, see, walk or eat on his own, and requires 24-hour care. Briden admitted to police that he caused the injuries.

In addition to the prison term, Briden must register for life as a violent offender against youth in accordance with the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act.

According to Illinois law, Briden must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. He was given credit for 1,140 days served in the Kane County jail.

Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said:

“This is a sad, infuriating and preventable case about a baby who was permanently injured by someone who had the responsibility to protect this child. Instead he violated that trust and abused this infant. As April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, I hope others will see this child’s permanent injuries as an example of what can result from child abuse and commit to intervening on a child’s behalf if they believe that child is in danger.”

SOURCE: Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news release. To follow news releases directly from the SAO, visit the State’s Attorney’s website and Facebook page.