HARRISBURG, PA — A Bedford County man has been sentenced to four to eight years in prison, followed by seven years of probation, after pleading no contest to charges of aggravated assault of a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Anthony Plotts, 40, of Hopewell, received the sentence on Friday for a July 2022 incident in which he inflicted serious injuries on his foster son, a toddler, just days after taking custody.
The child was hospitalized on July 31, 2022, with a brain bleed and additional severe trauma that doctors determined were consistent with a “violent shaking” incident. Plotts, who was fostering the toddler along with two other children, initially provided investigators with a statement about how the injuries occurred. However, medical records and evidence failed to support his account.
“This case involves some of the most heinous conduct imaginable — abuse of a purely innocent, defenseless, and vulnerable young child,” said Attorney General Dave Sunday. “Despite the defendant’s attempts to avoid accountability by misleading investigators, the truth was uncovered, and he is now held accountable. My commitment to protecting Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable will never waver.”
Plotts also faced sentencing in a separate case where he pleaded guilty to charges of corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to juveniles. This case stemmed from a November 2022 incident in which he supplied alcohol to several teenagers at his home. He was given an additional four years of probation to be served concurrently with his other sentence.
These cases, prosecuted by Acting Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry, spotlight law enforcement’s efforts to protect children from abuse and exploitation.
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