Gilbert woman pleads guilty in child abuse case

PHOENIX (AP) - A Gilbert woman accused of abusing her adopted son has pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse.

Maricopa County prosecutors say 40-year-old Jennifer Louise Barnes entered into a plea agreement Tuesday.

She will be sentenced on April 26.

Barnes was arrested in September 2011 on suspicion of child abuse and sexual contact with a minor.

According to court documents, the then 10-year-old boy told investigators that Barnes allegedly forced dog feces into his mouth and then taped it shut using duct tape.

The boy also claimed Barnes burned his genitals with a lighter and sodomized him with a toothbrush.

A pediatrician examined the boy and found evidence of injuries consistent with his account of the incidents, which allegedly occurred between May 2010 and August 2011.