JEFFREY IRETON REPRESENTED himself in his trial this week on a charge of first-degree child abuse. A jury Friday convicted him on the lesser charge of second-degree child abuse. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — An Iron Mountain man accused of child abuse in the first degree was convicted Friday on a less-severe second-degree charge.

Jeffrey William Ireton was accused of using an object — a Swiffer duster — to repeatedly strike his 23-month-old son over the course of two hours, causing injuries that required a four-day hospitalization.

Acting as his own attorney in Dickinson County Circuit Court, Ireton frequently stated he was within his legal right to discipline his own child. Ireton often quoted Bible verses, including Proverbs 13:24, “Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.”

A jury Friday found him guilty of second-degree child abuse after a four-day trial and two hours of deliberations.

They had the option to consider third- and fourth-degree child abuse as well. When the verdict was announced, Ireton had to be rushed out of the courtroom, as he shouted at the jury and others they should all be ashamed of themselves.

During the trial, Ireton said he had become frustrated with his son’s disobedience and misbehavior and the time had come to do something about it.

The victim’s mother testified that on the afternoon of April 18 she dropped her son off at Caring House, the designated exchange location; he was happy. Hours later, when Michaud picked him up, the boy was shaking, grinding his teeth and had welts on the backs of his legs.

The boy was initially treated and released at Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson, then brought back the next day after his urine turned green.

Testifying for the prosecution, Director of Pediatrics Dr. Alexis Cirilli-Whaley said the boy’s legs had swollen several centimeters. Where the flesh is normally soft and mushy, the victim’s was hard like styrofoam.

Whaley also testified the boy had a condition known as rhabdomyolysis, in which muscle fibers break down into the bloodstream and can lead to kidney failure.

During his cross-examination, Ireton tried to get Whaley to say the boy was never at risk and all hospitalization had done was accelerate the recovery of non-serious injuries. Ireton also moved to strike the doctor’s testimony, which Circuit Judge Mary Barglind denied.

Ireton’s former pastor, the Rev. Stephen Lehmann, testified Ireton had attended private Bible lessons with him a couple times a week up to the time of the incident. Lehmann stated Ireton was in a hurry to baptize his son because he believed his son to be possessed by an evil spirit.

Ireton was to meet with Lehmann on April 21 and said Ireton stated he was probably going to be arrested “for doing God’s will.” Lehmann said that when he heard what Ireton had done, he asked him to leave and called the police.

During Ireton’s cross-examination, Lehmann told Ireton that he was hyper-literal in his interpretation of the Bible and that he often used harsh words for those he disagreed with.

Taking the stand in his own defense, Ireton stated he was fully aware of the perception of spanking and discipline but was a servant of Christ and not some drunken father simply beating up on their children. Ireton also went into great detail about beatings he received from his father and stated he did not hate his father for them, they had saved him.

During Prosecuting Attorney Kristin Kass’ cross-examination, Ireton said when he was picking his son up for the visitation he wasn’t certain he would beat his son but had not expected him to be any different than he had been lately and thought a beating would probably be necessary.

Ireton said he chose the Swiffer because he thought it would do less damage than his hands would and he hit him mainly on the back of his thighs so as to not hurt vital organs or bones.

Ireton also stated if he had it to do over, he probably would have only hit his son two-thirds as much as he had.

Ireton faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 9.