Warren County man, Shawn Wright, sentenced for Child Neglect

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A Warren County man will serve the maximum sentence for child neglect following a disturbing 2023 incident involving an 8-year-old boy left in his care.

Judge Toni Terrett sentenced Shawn Wright to five years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, calling his behavior “very unacceptable.”

“You mentioned that you’ve been sober for two years, but you’ve also been in jail for two years,” Terrett said during sentencing. “You need help.”

District Attorney Ricky Smith prosecuted the case, providing graphic details of the night in question.

According to testimony, Wright was entrusted with the child by the boy’s mother and brought him to a hotel, where he used methamphetamine with a co-defendant. Surveillance footage from the hotel showed the adults were awake and under the influence throughout the night.

A witness testified that when they knocked on the hotel door, Wright answered nude from the waist down. In court, it was also stated that Wright and his companion groped each other while lying in bed in the child’s presence.

The next day, the child was reportedly disoriented, covered in scratches, and experiencing hallucinations. He was later taken to a hospital with an accelerated heart rate and tested positive for meth. Authorities said he showed signs of bruising and possible strangulation. DNA evidence was recovered from the room, but investigators said there was not enough proof to pursue further charges.

Wright fled the state after the incident and was later extradited from Tennessee. He has remained in the Warren County Jail since 2023.

During sentencing, both the child’s grandmother and mother addressed the court.

“He is a predator and he took advantage of an 8-year-old boy,” said the grandmother.

“You presented yourself as someone who can be trusted, but you hurt my son and broke his sense of safety,” the mother said.

Before a brief recess, DA Smith noted that if what he suspects happened in that room could be proven, Wright would be facing a life sentence.

Wright’s attorney argued that the child’s mother never returned to retrieve him, despite knowing he was at a hotel. Still, Smith pressed for the maximum sentence, which Judge Terrett granted.

Under Mississippi law, child neglect carries a maximum sentence of five years.