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Devin Warren Sizemore: Oklahoma dad found guilty in his daughter's drowning death says he was baptizing her

Devin Warren Sizemore, 28, was found guilty of child abuse that resulted in the death of his daughter and he might be sentenced to life in prison

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

McALESTER, OKLAHOMA: Devin Warren Sizemore, a man from Oklahoma, was convicted of killing his infant daughter in Indian Country by a federal jury on Monday, April 10, 2023. Sizemore, 28, was found guilty of child abuse that resulted in the death of his daughter and he might be sentenced to life in prison.

Sizemore was estranged from the child's mother when he brought the girl over for a visit. But when the infant was not returned to her mother, law enforcement officials were notified, and a search was initiated. When the officers confronted Sizemore after discovering him at a barn close to a pond, they saw the girl lying face down in the pond. Sizemore admitted to the police that he was holding her underwater for around 30 seconds that day as he "baptized" her, according to Fox News.

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'I can't imagine what that poor baby must've been feeling'

Many people have reacted to the news on Twitter, with one person writing, "I remember the terror of another kid-older than me-keeping me under water when I was about 3. I can't imagine what that poor baby must've been feeling, esp when it was her own father." Another person wrote, "Absolutely insane."

A third person wrote, "WTF? Just when you think the country can't possibly get any crazier." As opposed to the 30-second dunk disclosed by Sizemore, one person who shared their baptism experience, noted, "I was baptized in a Baptist church as a kid. It was a 3 second dunk & up!"

What charges are against Devin Warren Sizemore?

The US Department of Justice claimed that Sizemore of McAlester was prosecuted in the drowning death of his 21-month-old daughter. In the final proceedings, he was found guilty of manslaughter and child abuse that caused death.

Prosecutors from the Department of Justice's Criminal Division and the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma handled the case as Sizemore and his daughter are members of an Indian tribe recognized by the federal government.

How long could Devin Warren Sizemore serve?

Sizemore could receive a sentence of up to 15 years for voluntary manslaughter and a maximum term of life in prison for child abuse that resulted in death. The US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations will be taken into account by a federal district court judge when determining the severity of the sentence.

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