Elgin man guilty of abusing infant, faces up to 30 years in prison
A 24-year-old Elgin man faces prison after he admitted to abusing and permanently injuring an infant boy in March 2016.
Anthony B. Briden, of the 400 block of South Belmont Avenue, pleaded guilty late last week to one count of aggravated battery of a child under 13 and aggravated domestic battery, both felonies, according to Kane County court records.
Briden was set for a jury trial Monday, but that was canceled and a sentencing hearing scheduled for Feb. 22, 2019.
Briden entered what is known as a "cold" or "blind" plea in which a defendant does not agree to a punishment with prosecutors and instead leaves his fate in the hands of a judge, in this case Judge John Barsanti.
The most severe charge of aggravated battery to a child under 13 carries a prison term of six to 30 years with no chance of probation.
Briden was arrested in March 2016 on charges he injured a 7-week-old infant. Court documents state he caused "physical injury namely trauma to the head and body" of the infant, who will turn 3 in January 2019.
Prosecutors said the victim has permanent and substantial injuries that require 24-hour care.
Messages left with Briden's defense attorney, Ron Dolak, were not immediately returned.
Under state law, Briden must serve 85 percent of any sentence he receives.
He has been held at the Kane County jail on $300,000 bail since his arrest in mid-March 2016, records show. Those 33 months will be applied as credit toward any sentence.