A 29-year-old Geneva man on Friday pleaded guilty in Freeborn County District Court to one felony count of child endangerment of his son, who was seriously injured in January of 2011.

The plea, by Cory Craig Bailey, was classified as an Alford plea, in which a defendant maintains his innocence but recognizes that there is sufficient evidence to convict, usually of stiffer penalties.

He initially faced additional charges of malicious punishment of a child and child neglect.

The boy, now 2, suffered severe brain injuries that will likely affect his development and functioning levels, according to court documents.

The incident was reported to authorities by a social worker at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, after the baby was brought into the emergency room at the request of the baby’s mother on Jan. 11.

According to court documents, Bailey reportedly told police that the baby’s head hit a door frame while he was carrying the child and walking through a door, but medical professionals have stated the injuries were too serious to have been caused in this manner. Court reports stated the baby’s injuries were consistent with “non-accidental trauma.”

Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson said Bailey intentionally or recklessly put his son into a situation where he would receive physical or emotional harm. The charge does not mean that Bailey caused the harm.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.