Illinois man sewed son's buttocks shut, takes plea

(CBS) WAUKEGAN, Ill - A northeast Illinois man who used a needle and thread to sew his son's buttocks shut has taken a plea, according to the Sun Times Media Wire (STMW).

STMW says that Randy Swopes, 52, will serve 24 months of probation and 250 hours of public service for the January 2008 incident.

The Sun Times reports Swopes' son was 14 years old at the time and suffers from Crohn's disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation to the digestive system, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. At the time of the incident, STMW reports, the teenager had a fistula, a common symptom of Crohn's Disease in which there is an abnormal connection between two parts in the body.

Rather than take his son to the hospital, Swopes opted to treat the condition himself and sew his son's buttocks closed. The teen wound up in the hospital for almost a month because of infection, the Media Wire reports.

Assistant State's Attorney Danielle Pascucci said Swopes was charged with aggravated battery and could have spent two to five years in prison. Instead, STMW reports, Swopes represented himself in court and took an Alford plea, which admits that there is enough evidence to convict but is not a direct admission of guilt.