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Inset, left to right: Caroline Ruth Boggs and Jesse A. Sartin (Dearborn County Prosecutor’s Office). Background: The area in Indiana where Sartin killed Caroline (Google Maps).
A 25-year-old man from Indiana has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison for the tragic death of his girlfriend’s 21-month-old daughter. The child suffered catastrophic injuries when he shook her so violently that her brain was damaged, leading to brain matter leaking from her ears, according to medical experts.
On Friday, Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge F. Aaron Negangard sentenced Jesse Allen Sartin to 35 years in a state prison, followed by an additional five years of probation. This sentence was issued in connection with the death of young Caroline Ruth Boggs, as revealed by authorities.
The sentencing followed Sartin’s guilty plea to a charge of aggravated battery resulting in death.
The incident occurred on July 24, 2024, when Sartin was responsible for looking after Caroline. According to a news release, prosecutors stated that Sartin violently shook the child for roughly 20 seconds, leading to severe and ultimately fatal brain damage.
Caroline was initially treated at St. Elizabeth Dearborn before being transferred via airlift to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. There, she underwent emergency surgery and was placed on life support. Despite intensive medical intervention, she succumbed to her injuries on August 1. The cause of death was identified as abusive head trauma, consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
At sentencing, Negangard cited multiple aggravating factors, including the child’s “extreme vulnerability,” Sartin’s position of trust as her caregiver, and the “violent nature and duration of the assault.” The court also noted Sartin’s prior criminal history, that he was on probation at the time, and that he initially provided false information to investigators before admitting what he had done.
“This case represents a devastating and preventable loss of life,” Dearborn-Ohio Counties Prosecutor Lynn Deddens said in a statement. “Caroline was a healthy, loved child who depended on adults to protect her. Instead, she suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of someone entrusted with her care while her mother was at work.”
Victim impact statements described Caroline as a “joyful, curious child” whose death has left lasting trauma on her family.
Following his release, Sartin will be barred from having contact with minor children during his probation.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Sartin initially claimed the toddler’s injuries were accidental, telling medical staff she had been standing on an ottoman when a dog knocked her over, causing her to fall.
Doctors quickly determined the injuries were inconsistent with that account.
Due to the severity of her condition, the child was transferred to a children’s hospital, where surgeons attempted to relieve pressure from extreme brain swelling. Medical professionals later said the swelling was so severe that her brain herniated and was “leaking through her ears.”
Investigators ultimately determined the child had been in Sartin’s sole care at the time of the incident while her mother was at work.
In an interview with police, Sartin admitted he became frustrated while bathing the toddler, claiming she was “being aggressive and flailing her arms” because she did not want to get out of the tub. He then confessed to shaking her for about 20 seconds.
Authorities also recovered a letter Sartin allegedly wrote to his girlfriend after the incident, in which he described the moments leading up to the assault.
“Once the bubbles were gone, I drained the water and put her toys away. I tried to pull her out but she didn’t want to get out. Screaming and swinging her arms,” the letter states. “I tried to pull her out but she kept pulling away and I was getting upset. Baby, I’m so upset. I shook her trying to get her to calm down.”
An autopsy later determined the toddler’s death was a homicide caused by abusive head trauma, including swelling to the brain and significant hemorrhaging consistent with violent shaking.
The case drew scrutiny due to the severity of the child’s injuries and the initial attempt to portray them as accidental — a claim investigators said Sartin later abandoned when confronted with medical evidence.