Darrell Dennison, 39, of Nageezi, who pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree child abuse in February for beating his mentally challenged 15-year-old son with extension cords and jumper cables, was sentenced Monday to a maximum 18 years in prison, the Farmington Daily Times reported.

Dennison, a single parent, was arrested last August after Farmington police found his teenage son had welts and bruises all over his back and face, as well as scars from what police believed was year-old abuse, the Daily Times reported.

Dennison's co-workers reported the abuse, the paper said.

"(The victim) said he tried everything to make his father happy, but his father was still angry," arrest documents said.

Police said Dennison admitted hitting his son, saying "I went too far and took my frustrations out on him ... I deserve what I deserve."

Originally charged with first-degree child abuse, which carries an 18-year prison sentence, Dennison reportedly took the plea bargain on the chance that the sentence would be reduced, the Daily Times reported.

But state District Judge John Dean imposed the maximum sentence anyway, after hearing from case officer Jerry Worrell, who told the court on Monday that the abuse was "long-term systematic torture," the Daily Times said.

"What this child had to endure is so far beyond the scope of anything I've had to investigate before," Worrell told the court. 

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