In Catoosa County, Georgia, a three-day trial concluded with the conviction of 24-year-old Dillan Michael Tenant from Ringgold for severe child cruelty. In March 2023, while living with his family in Rossville, Tenant was supervising his two young children, aged two and three, when he became violently angry over a mess they had made. Over the course of two days, he physically assaulted them, notably using a board to hit his son.

Tenant attempted to conceal the injuries by taking his children to a friend’s house, but the abuse was later discovered. Initially, Tenant misled the police by blaming another family member for the injuries, and he failed to seek medical care for his children despite recognizing the severity of their bruises. Testimony from a Department of Family and Children’s Services witness described the bruising as some of the worst they had seen, and a forensic pediatric doctor from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed the injuries were intentional and caused by significant force.

The jury found Tenant guilty of two counts of first-degree cruelty to children. He was sentenced to thirty years in prison, with the first fifteen years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections. Furthermore, Tenant is prohibited from having any contact with his children and cannot have unsupervised interactions with any minors under 18. District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller remarked that Tenant “will have plenty of time to clean his room in the Department of Corrections,” highlighting the gravity of his offenses and the justice served.