Child abuser gets prison

SANDUSKY — A convicted child abuser was recently sentenced to prison. Devin M. Mims, 28, of the 4200 block of 71st. St., Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree felony felonious assault. In exchange for his plea, the state dropped two counts of felony endangering children. During a March 4 sentencing hearing, Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Tygh Tone sentenced Mims to spend between eight years and 12 years in prison. He received a little more than one year of jail time credit. Mims will face between one and a half and three years of post-release control. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 but failed to show for the hearing. U.S. Marshals later found him and returned him to Erie County. Background Mims was accused of causing catastrophic injuries to a 4-month-old child, according to Sandusky police. Detectives were called to a local hospital in February 2023 for a report of a baby with major injuries. The injuries included several rib fractures and bilateral subdural hematomas, or blood clots, from damaged blood vessels between the skull and brain. Mims reportedly told officers he was "rough" with the child while tickling her. Investigators told Mims that tickling would not cause rib fractures. When asked if he could think of a time when the baby fell, Mims reportedly admitted to dropping the child while she was in a "bouncer." This was later discovered to be a rocker. The child's mother, Sondra VanWhy, also faced charges in the case. The 22-year-old woman pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of felony child endangering. At an August sentencing hearing, VanWhy was ordered into the custody of the state for a term of two-and-a-half years. As of Tuesday, she is incarcerated in the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. She has an expected release date of January 2028.