A Bismarck man has pleaded guilty to repeatedly slapping the face of a 2-year-old boy who was in his care.

Jeremy Bounting, 27, entered the guilty plea to Class B felony child abuse and neglect to South Central District Judge Sonna Anderson on Monday afternoon.

Anderson gave Bounting a three-year deferred imposition of sentence, which means the offense will be off his record if he successfully completes three years of supervised probation.

Bounting will be on electronic monitoring for 60 days, has to pay $775 in court fees and complete anger management and nurturing classes.

According to the state's Department of Human Services, Bounting ran a child-care business out of his apartment in the 3000 block of East Rosser Avenue at the time of the offense in October.

The boy's mother left him in Bounting's care from 4 p.m. Oct. 17 to 11 a.m. Oct. 18, police said. She noticed scratches and bruises on her son's face after she picked him up, and complained to Burleigh County Social Services on Oct. 19. Police arrested Bounting later that day. Bounting told Anderson he slapped the child several times in the face, leaving redness and bruising.

"The child was throwing a temper tantrum, and Ilost my temper," Bounting said.

Burleigh County assistant state's attorney Julie Lawyer recommended the sentence imposed by Anderson based on Bounting's lack of a criminal history. Bounting's attorney, Justin Vinje, joined in the request.

"Sixty days of electronic monitoring is punishment," Vinje said. "It is a loss of his liberties."

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael @bismarcktribune.com.)