​1 year in jail for dad of boy, 5, found dead in septic tank

PULASKI, Va. -- A Virginia man whose 5-year-old son who was found dead in a septic tank has been sentenced to one year and three months in jail for child abuse and neglect.

Media outlets reported Wednesday that 32-year-old Paul Thomas entered an Alford plea on two counts in Pulaski County Circuit Court. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges sufficient evidence for a conviction.

Noah Thomas and his infant sister were left alone while their mother, 31-year-old Ashley White, drove their father to work last March. White says Noah disappeared after she returned home and took a nap. The boy's body was found four days later in a septic tank near his Dublin home.

White was convicted last month of three counts of abuse and neglect. She will be sentenced May 16.