Father avoids jail for choking infant son

CLEVELAND, June 19 (UPI) -- A Cleveland judge ordered mandatory community service for a father who confessed to the non-lethal choking of his infant son with a diaper wipe.

Joshua Rains, 25, was sentenced Monday to three years of community control, a $1,500 fine, parenting classes, and drug and alcohol testing after admitting to stuffing a diaper wipe down his infant son's throat, WEWS-TV, Cleveland, reported.

Rains was arrested in November 2011. At first, he told police the choking was an accident when he brought his son to the ER. He confessed to the crime months later, the report said.

The child was placed on life-support and is currently in county custody.