Teen Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - "As far as the nature of the crime, I hope I never see it again," said Desoto County Assistant District Attorney, Steven Jubera.

Jubera, sat in court Wednesday morning as 19 year-old Kenneth Blake Watkins had a change of heart and admitted to the judge he was guilty as charged.

In January of 2008, a then 17 year-old Watkins was arrested on charges of sexual battery and child abuse causing serious bodily injury.

"The child was left in his custody while the mother went to college," said Jubera.

Watkins says Jubera, had been baby-sitting his girlfriend's one and a half year-old daughter in Walls, Mississippi for a couple of hours one morning when a diaper change later raised some serious flags.

"She (the toddler) woke up about 4 or 5 hours later that afternoon and the injuries were discovered after that," he said.

Jubera says Watkins guilty plea followed testimony that began on Monday of this week concerning the combination of the little girl's physical injuries from that day and the dna evidence found in her diaper.

"The diaper was sent to a crime lab....it did test positive for blood and seminal fluid. The facts that were presented to us based on the sheriff's office investigation was that there was only one male in the house capable of producing semen," Jubera said.

Though Watkins took a state recommended plea offer, a judge will ultimately decide how much time he deserves in prison. That won't be until January of next year. And Jubera says because of his guilty plea on felony charges involving a young child, he could still get the maximum sentence which is life in prison.