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Man Pleads Guilty in Death of Girlfriend's Daughter

Jamarius Devonti Graham and Aaliyah Lewis
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse in the death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter.

Media outlets report that 21-year-old Jamarius Devonti Graham was watching Aaliyah Lewis on April 21, 2016 when she had an accident on his bed.

Graham told investigators he spanked the girl 20 times with a belt and struck her with a plastic hanger until it broke. He and the child's mother waited nearly 90 minutes after Aaliyah started having breathing problems before seeking help.

The girl died at UF Health Jacksonville.

An autopsy found Aaliyah had multiple traumatic injuries to her head, torso and extremities, as well as fluid and swelling in her lungs and brain.

Graham is scheduled to be sentenced April 17.

No charges have been filed against the girl's mother.

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