The man who put a 7-year-old boy in a wooden box as punishment will spend 10 years in prison.
Christopher Leslie, 31, was sentenced Tuesday in a Bartow County Courtroom following his conviction late last month, The Daily Tribune in Cartersville reported. Leslie must also pay a $1,000 fine, undergo a psychiatric evaluation and take a parenting class before anyone under the age of 18 resides with him.
During his trial, Leslie said he built the box because he did not know another way to discipline the boy. He was found guilty on five charges, including second-degree cruelty to children and false imprisonment.
Leslie also fed the boy cayenne pepper and strapped him down in a sleeping bag with a rope.
"This is one of the most troubling cases I've ever sat through," Judge Scott Smith told the courtroom. "It's troubling from the standpoint that some people, including yourself, seem to think this is all right or that it was justified, and it is not in any way a justifiable act for anyone to do, let alone a parent to do to a child."
Leslie's wife, Heather Leslie, was found not guilty of the crimes.
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