MT. VERNON — After numerous delays in both cases, the Mt. Vernon parents charged with abuse of their infant son have been found guilty of the Class X felony charges against them.

According to Jefferson County State’s Attorney Sean Featherstun, Judge Jerry Crisel has found both 20-year-old Tyrone “EJ” Steele and 22-year-old Abagail Adkins guilty of aggravated battery of a child under 13 years of age causing great bodily harm.

The pair was initially being tried together and had agreed to be tried in a bench trial rather than a jury trial. However, after the first day of bench trial, Steele motioned to have the cases severed and to be tried separately from Adkins.

Both cases were subsequently delayed multiple times as they moved forward to separate bench trials.

Ultimately the cases were tried and closing arguments given in November. Judge Crisel at that time took the cases under advisement and handed down his guilty verdicts Wednesday.

The pair was arrested in April 2017 after Mt. Vernon police received a report from Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

A nurse at the hospital reported an allegation of abuse and detectives from the Mt. Vernon Police Department and Department of Children and Family Services Investigators continued the investigation.

Featherstun says a hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2019, on the status of the pre-sentencing investigations into the cases.

At that time sentencing hearings will be scheduled. A Class X felony is punishable by between 6 and 30 years.