EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A Fort Bliss soldier has been sentenced to eight years in prison in a plea deal over the 2012 beating death of his year-old son.

Sgt. 1st Class Crispen Hanson was accused of causing the death of his son, Malachi, and faced trial this week in El Paso.

The father was charged with capital murder and murder after an autopsy determined the toddler died of blunt force trauma. Hanson faced two counts of injury to a child for alleged incidents prior to his son's April 2012 death.

Hanson pleaded guilty Friday to the injury to a child counts. The other charges were dropped.

Hanson's 9-year-old daughter, Aiyana, died of leukemia in 2010 and he had participated in a number of public events on behalf of the girl.

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