Joshua Manns was sentenced to 60 years in prison for second-degree murder for the child-abuse death of his girlfriend’s three-year-old son, Jameson Nance, in 2021. 

The sentence imposed June 22 was expected as part of a plea agreement with the State Attorney’s Office that spared Manns, 30, a trial for first-degree murder and a possible death sentence.

The agreement was supported by the boy’s father, James Nance, who wept as prosecutors played a silent slideshow of photos of him with his son during the sentencing hearing in Viera.

The boy’s mother, Erica Dotson, 32, also has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect resulting in great bodily harm. Her trial is scheduled to begin July 20.

Assistant State Attorney Samantha Barrett said Manns’ sentence resolved his case in a way that spared the boy’s father the pain of a trial and possibly years of appeals and hearings that can prolong a surviving family’s suffering.

James Nance joined Barrett, State Attorney William Scheiner and prosecutor Christine Babb in talking with news reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing.

“The sentence is one step in the long journey for justice for Jameson Nance, but this pursuit is not over,” Barrett said. “The State Attorney’s Office looks forward to the day when Erica Dotson is held accountable for her role in her son’s death.”

Said Nance: “One down, one to go.”

Police investigators determined Manns and Dotson beat and abused the little boy over months, inflicting injuries that included a broken rib, brain swelling, and stab wounds. An autopsy revealed Jameson died from severe, ongoing physical abuse rather than accidental drowning in a bathtub, as Manns claimed to police.

Neither acted to protect him, prosecutors say.  Among the trial evidence: Text messages recovered from Dotson’s mobile phone that show they fabricated cover stories, minimized critical injuries to the child, and chose to protect themselves rather than seeking medical help.