Ill. man wants less prison time in child beating

BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A southwestern Illinois man who admitted beating his then-girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter is asking for a more lenient prison sentence.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/ZY9MQ0) that 27-year-old Kraig Monroe Jr.'s attorney requested an 8 1/2-year sentence on Thursday. Monroe was sentenced to 11 years in prison in September. Monroe claims a St. Clair County judge didn't have enough time to consider mitigating circumstances. The Belleville man also says the prison sentence is a burden on his family. Prosecutors sought the maximum 30-year sentence. The judge took Monroe's request under advisement.

Monroe pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated battery to a child. Authorities say Monroe was babysitting Amanda Runyon in 2010 in his Belleville-area trailer home when he repeatedly punched her in the stomach to stop her from crying.

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Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com