MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — A Mobile man accused of aggravated child abuse pleaded not guilty Thursday. Kendall Freeman is charged with beating his 4-year-old son, Kentrell Freeman, and causing what the criminal complaint describes as “severe injuries to the kidneys.” Court documents state the child became septic and required extensive medical treatment. The boy’s mother, Kaitlyn, told NBC 15 News that Kentrell underwent surgery last month.
“Watching him suffer like this has completely shattered me,” Kaitlyn said. “I trusted his father to protect him, and instead my son was harmed in the worst way imaginable. As a mother, I am heartbroken, angry, and overwhelmed with guilt that I was not there to protect my baby in that moment.”
Kaitlyn said her son had been staying with Freeman for several days to attend Mardi Gras parades. When she was called to the hospital, she said Kentrell initially told her he fell in the bathtub…