A Jackson County man is headed to prison after deputies found a 2-year-old boy described by law enforcement as “extremely malnourished” inside a Parma Township home. The child was first hospitalized locally, then transferred to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor for further treatment. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has taken custody of the toddler, and the criminal case grew out of concerns first raised by hospital staff about possible abuse.
James Edward Stephens III, 33, pleaded no contest to second-degree child abuse and was sentenced last Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court to between four years, nine months, and 10 years in prison, according to MLive. Court records show prosecutors agreed to drop an original first-degree child abuse charge as part of plea talks and also dismissed a related domestic violence count. Stephens was arraigned on Nov. 10, 2025, after weeks of investigation that began in early November.
Investigation and seizure
The case started when staff at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital reported a possible sexual assault on Nov. 7, 2025, prompting detectives to open a criminal investigation. Deputies then obtained a search warrant for the Parma Township residence, removed the child from the home, and placed him in protective custody. At the same time, a child-neglect petition was filed in Jackson County Probate Court as the criminal probe moved forward.
Charges, plea and sentence
According to court records reviewed by MLive, Jackson County Circuit Judge Susan Jordan handed down the prison term after Stephens entered his no-contest plea to the reduced second-degree child abuse charge. The sentence range tracks with Michigan’s penalties for that offense, which prosecutors pursued after initially charging him with first-degree child abuse. Stephens will serve his prison time while related civil and criminal matters linked to the case continue to move through the courts.
Child welfare status
The toddler remains in state care while child-welfare officials and law enforcement continue their reviews, and authorities have kept additional medical information under wraps because of the child’s age. Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette said deputies contacted Children’s Protective Services and coordinated the child’s transfer and medical treatment. Investigators and probate court officials are still assembling evidence as judges weigh next steps in both the criminal proceedings and the ongoing custody case.
