A 28-year-old McHenry man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated battery to a child for shaking and battering his then-4-month-old son in 2022, leaving the infant with critical skull fractures and a severe brain injury. DeShawn M. Wilson was caring for the baby alone while the child's mother was at work when the attack occurred.
Paramedics responded to a call about an unresponsive infant in McHenry on July 17, 2022, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The baby was first taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital before being airlifted to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, where he underwent emergency surgery for a severe brain injury. Regional pediatric trauma protocols in McHenry County typically call for stabilization at a local hospital before critically injured infants are flown to a Level 1 pediatric trauma unit like Lurie's, per the Sun-Times.
Wilson told police he had bounced and shaken the baby in an attempt to get him to sleep, according to the Sun-Times. Court filings submitted by McHenry County prosecutors and detailed by Shaw Local said MRI imaging showed significant brain impairment, diagnostic testing revealed critical skull fractures, and X-rays showed skeletal fractures. The child required a feeding tube and ongoing evaluation for skull reconstruction surgery.
A Prior Domestic Battery Conviction
At the time of his arrest, Wilson was already on conditional discharge for a prior domestic battery conviction in McHenry County, the outlet reported. That record meant he was under court supervision tied to a previous violence case when he inflicted the injuries on his own son.
Court proceedings also grew contentious after Wilson's arrest. A judge revoked his jail telephone privileges after prosecutors presented evidence that he had violated a court-ordered no-contact restriction by repeatedly calling the infant's mother at the hospital during the child's emergency care, the same outlet's reporting shows. Earlier in the case, Wilson's bond had been set at $100,000, with conditions including a 1,000-foot stay-away order from the victim, GPS tracking, and a ban on unsupervised contact with any minor under 18.
What the Sentence Means Behind Bars
Aggravated battery to a child causing great bodily harm or permanent disability is a Class X felony in Illinois, carrying a sentencing range of 6 to 30 years in prison. Under the state's Truth-in-Sentencing law, Wilson must serve at least 85 percent of his 12-year term — roughly 10.2 years — before he becomes eligible for release, according to the same reporting.
McHenry County State's Attorney Randi Freese, who took office in November 2024 after previously serving as First Assistant State's Attorney and leading major child abuse prosecutions, said the resolution holds Wilson accountable for “the devastating and lasting injuries he caused his infant son.” She added that the resolution allows the child's family to “focus on the child's continued care and well-being.”
County's Broader Push on Child Abuse Cases
The case closed against the backdrop of an expanded child-protection effort in McHenry County. In July 2023, the State's Attorney's Office formed a dedicated Crimes Against Children Task Force uniting 22 local police departments, DCFS, and medical evaluation teams to investigate physical abuse and sexual assault cases, according to McHenry County government records. Two years later, in July 2025, the McHenry County Sheriff's Office launched a formal partnership with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, assigning a dedicated deputy to accompany caseworkers on local child abuse and neglect investigations, Shaw Local reported.
Wilson's guilty plea and sentence close out the criminal case, but the injuries he caused remain a lasting reality for his son, who suffered brain impairment requiring ongoing treatment, per Shaw Local's reporting on the case.
