April 23, 2012
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. Michael Douglas Lewis pled guilty today in Oconee General Sessions Court to Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature and Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child. The Honorable Benjamin H. Culbertson sentenced Lewis to 15 years on the Assault charge and 10 years on the Unlawful Conduct charge.
On August 4, 2011, officers from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office responded to Oconee Medical Center regarding a potential child abuse case. The 5-week old victim was found to have a fractured leg, 3 broken ribs and a head injury. Although initially denying responsibility for the infant’s injuries, Michael Douglas Lewis later admitted that he had gotten frustrated by the child’s crying and had hit him open-handed in the face. The Defendant also admitted throwing the child onto a wicker couch. Lewis had a previous conviction for assaulting a child in Richland County.
“The defendant violently attacked and injured a helpless infant,” said Solicitor Chrissy Adams. “While it is fortunate that the child’s injuries ultimately weren’t life threating, this defendant has a proven history of violence against children and as such we are pleased with today’s sentence which will ensure that he spends over a decade behind bars, unable to harm anyone else.”