Man sentenced 20 years for physically and emotionally abusing children

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) A man charged with abusing several children was sentenced on Monday. Antonio Henderson was sentenced to 20 years with four years suspended; he will therefore serve 16 of those years and will be on probation for four.

Henderson had previously pleaded guilty to the multiple charges of neglect of a dependent and battery resulting in bodily injury.

According to police, Henderson abused four children, ages eight, five, four, and one.

In October , a judge sentenced the mother of the four children, Breezy Parker, to an eight-year prison sentence but suspended all of it. Breezy will instead spend five years on probation.

According to court documents, Parker left her kids with Henderson, her live-in boyfriend , while she was working.

Henderson abused them by choking and beating them.

Henderson even threatened to put the children into the pet Boa Constrictor's cage. One of the children said he put their heads in the cage.

The five-year-old also said Henderson would choke his sister a lot and would swing her around by her feet. Other children said Henderson called it "Night night." The boy said Henderson would choke them until they passed out.

When an Officer from the Department of Children's Services went inside this home the children had obvious bruising on their faces. Parker claimed she never knew the abuse was going on.

Three of the four kids were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

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If you suspect a child is being abused, call 1-800-555-5556. If you believe they're in immediate danger call 911.