ANDERSON — James Dickerson pled guilty Thursday afternoon in Anderson General Sessions Court to homicide by child abuse, a crime that carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. 

The Honorable Cordell Maddox sentenced him to life. 

Seven-year-old Jeremy Dickerson, who had been a student at Hunt Meadows Elementary School, died on Nov. 28, 2008 — Black Friday — after he was repeatedly beaten with a metal mop handle, according to police. 

Officials said the father called 9-1-1, and when EMS arrived, they found the father in the bedroom, trying to perform CPR on his son.

According to EMS personnel, James Dickerson said that “he had whipped him the previous evening but didn’t think he had whipped him that hard.” EMS also said that Jeremy had several bruises and cuts covering his body.

Dr. Brett Woodard performed an autopsy on the Jeremy, ruling the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock due to massive blunt force trauma. The force used on the child was equivalent to a car bumper hitting someone at 35 miles per hour, according to a release from the Solicitor’s Office.

Jeremy’s then 5-year-old brother was also found in another bedroom of the house, having suffered non-life threatening injuries, officials said. 

“There are no words to express how horrendous the injuries were to this little boy,” Solicitor Chrissy Adams said. “The horror which was felt by his little brother as he watched the beating is heartbreaking. The memories of this incident will be with him forever. We are fortunate that the Judge agreed with the State that this crime deserved the maximum sentence.”