Mother claimed “she didn’t have a choice” when she allowed her boyfriend punish her 2-year-old daughter with spanking and time outs before he beat the girl to death; sentenced

Texas – Texas prosecutors have closed a devastating chapter in a years‑long child abuse case, as 30‑year‑old mother S. Newsom received her long‑awaited prison sentence for allowing her boyfriend to brutalize her 2‑year‑old daughter. The mother admitted that she “didn’t have a choice” when she permitted the man to discipline the toddler through harsh time‑outs, wall‑sits, and escalating assaults—punishments that eventually led to the child’s death.

Newsom pleaded guilty to injury to a child by failing to protect resulting in serious bodily injury, acknowledging her role in the violent abuse that unfolded inside her home. Judge T. Byars sentenced her to 22 years in prison, ending the extended legal efforts to hold both adults accountable for the girl’s suffering and fatal injuries.

The charges against Newsom focused on her refusal to stop her then‑boyfriend, J. Fulbright, from repeatedly harming the child. Prosecutors said the abuse grew steadily worse: what started as time‑outs turned into forcing the toddler to squat against a wall for long periods, followed by spankings, and eventually full‑body beatings. Newsom told jurors she continued to leave her daughter alone with Fulbright while she was at work, even as she watched his punishments intensify. When questioned during Fulbright’s capital murder trial, District Attorney K. Boggeman pressed her on why she allowed this to continue. Newsom replied, “I didn’t have a choice.” Investigators, however, stated that she had many opportunities to intervene. Medical professionals testified that the 2‑year‑old’s injuries were so extensive that there was “not a surface on the child that had no injuries.”

The abuse reached its deadly conclusion on October 18, 2018, when Newsom carried her daughter into a hospital wrapped in a blanket, claiming the toddler “had the flu.” Staff instantly recognized the situation as an emergency far more serious. The child was limp, unresponsive, and covered in bruises from head to toe. A witness described her as “floppy” and feared she may not have been alive. Doctors determined that the girl had been beaten and transferred her to a children’s hospital, where she died shortly afterward. As the investigation continued, Newsom admitted that Fulbright had forced the toddler into punishing positions for up to ten minutes at a time, hit her when she could not comply, and beat her repeatedly. She even confessed to slapping her daughter in an effort to jolt her out of seizure‑like symptoms—injuries prosecutors linked directly to Fulbright’s violence.

The state attempted to try Fulbright twice before. A 2019 mistrial stemmed from jury selection issues; a second mistrial in 2022 occurred when Fulbright’s attorney was arrested. The third trial, held in early 2024, finally resulted in a capital murder conviction. Newsom testified during that proceeding, saying her daughter had never acted out before and that the change in behavior under Fulbright’s punishments was “new and different.” Her testimony helped prosecutors outline the prolonged abuse the toddler endured.

After spending years free on bail, Newsom was taken into custody immediately following her sentencing and booked into the county jail Tuesday morning. Under her plea agreement, she waived her right to appeal the conviction. Fulbright is attempting to appeal his guilty verdict, arguing the court excluded favorable evidence and accusing prosecutors of misconduct—claims the state disputes.

For the family, the loss remains immeasurable. The toddler’s aunt wrote: “These evil acts on this angel has absolutely stopped the family’s world from spinning.” District Attorney Boggeman emphasized the importance of finality in the case, saying the plea allowed the community to begin to heal: “As a mom, I don’t know any amount of time is enough, but it was the right move for our county and to finally let that baby rest in peace.” What remains is a tragic record of a child who endured suffering no one should ever face—and a long‑overdue measure of accountability for the adults who allowed it to happen.