A White County man has been sentenced to 22 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to aggravated child abuse.

Joseph Alexander Farris entered the guilty plea to the Class A felony on August 7, 2026, in the Criminal Court of White County. Under the terms of the sentence, he must serve 100% of his 22-year term.

The case originated on October 13, 2024, when law enforcement received a referral from the Department of Children’s Services regarding a potential physical abuse case involving a one-month-old infant. At the time, the victim was receiving treatment at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Medical examinations, including a skeletal survey, revealed extensive injuries indicative of non-accidental trauma. The findings included:

• A healing, subacute right mid humerus spiral fracture

• Acute bilateral mid clavicle fractures

• Multiple acute posterior bilateral rib fractures and a potential acute left anterior rib fracture

• An acute right acromion fracture

• An equivocal left scapular fracture versus nutrient foramen

During the subsequent investigation led by Detective Charlie Sims of the Sparta Police Department and Investigator Randal Slayton of the District Attorney General’s Office, Farris—the child’s father—was interviewed. Farris admitted to caring for the infant when the injuries occurred, demonstrated how he handled the child with his hands, and acknowledged he knew he was causing harm.

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Krebs, with the District Attorney’s Child Abuse Prosecution Unit, prosecuted the case.

REPORTING CHILD ABUSE

Under Tennessee law, reporting suspected child abuse is mandatory. Authorities urge anyone who suspects abuse to speak up, emphasizing that intervention can save a child’s life: If you see something… say something.