GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A father and alleged cult member accused of starving his 15-month-old daughter to death pleaded guilty in court, Tuesday.
A judge sentenced Calvin McIntosh to life in prison, with the chance for parole, as part of the plea deal.
It all stems from a 2014 investigation related to the 15-month-old's death.
In November of that year, McIntosh reportedly brought his daughter Alcenti to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Medical staff determined Alcenti was neglected and abused, and an autopsy ruled starvation as the cause of death. Authorities said Alcenti weighed only 7 pounds.
The child's death led Gwinnett County Police to McIntosh's residence at an Extended Stay America off Jimmy Carter Boulevard. That's where they found his 23-year-old daughter Najlaa and three children - ages 5, 3 and 3. Police said all three were severely malnourished.
Officers found another person in the hotel room, 21-year-old Iasia Sweeting. When they got there, they found the 21-year-old wrapped in a blanket and lying on the floor, near death. Authorities said she weighed only 59 pounds. Sweeting, who had been reported missing after she ran away in 2010, couldn't move or talk, and police said she was being punished for unknown reasons.
An investigation uncovered that McIntosh fathered two of the children with his daughter Najlaa, and another child with Sweeting. Police said McIntosh ordered Najlaa to deprive Sweeting and the children of food if they were disobedient.
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McIntosh faced felony murder and child cruelty charges in connection to the child's death, but entered what's called an Alford plea, which allows a defendant to accept punishment without admitting guilt. McIntosh was also charged with starving the child's mother, but those charges were dropped, also part of the plea deal.
Under Georgia law, people sentenced to life in prison can be considered for parole after 30 years.
Meanwhile, Najlaa's case for murder and abuse charges, is still pending.
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