A 22-year-old Bemidji man was sentenced to eight years in prison for the malicious punishment of a child.
Levi Knutson pleaded guilty to the crime last March.
Court records state that in April 2020, Knutson maliciously punished a six-week-old infant with injuries including dozens of fractures in the baby’s arms and legs.
Levi Knutson, 22. Photo courtesy of the Beltrami County Jail.
Knutson admitted to investigators that he treated the baby like a “Stretch Armstrong doll.”
The 96-month sentence is an upward departure from sentencing guidelines, which would have been a four-year sentence.
Assistant Beltrami County Attorney Sara Westrum successfully filed the motion for the longer sentence.
Knutson has served 16 days in local custody and will serve the remainder of his sentence at the St. Cloud men’s prison.
