North Dakota man pleads guilty to child abuse charge

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota man accused of hitting and kicking a child has pleaded guilty in federal court.

Thomas Blackhawk, of Bismarck, is charged with child abuse. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Authorities say the 34-year-old Blackhawk and the child were staying at a casino on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in February 2012 when the incident occurred.