A Lancaster city father will spend up to 25 years in prison for a series of beatings in 2009 that permanently disabled his young son.

Antonio Flores-Feliciano, 30, was convicted last summer of beating his 3-month-old son, then ignoring the boy's need for medical help.

Addiel, now 3 years old, is confined to an infant's crib and can't breath or eat on his own, his mother testified on Thursday.

For the "horrific" beatings, Lancaster County Judge David Ashworth ordered a state prison sentence of 6 1/2 to 25 years.

"This court lacks the ability to repair the damage that was done. There is no way I am able to make people whole in this case," Ashworth said while ordering sentence. "I would much prefer to return everyone to the days before the events."

Flores-Feliciano, a short man who needed a translator during the hearing, adamantly denied hurting his son.

"The worst I did with my kids was protect them too much," he said through the interpreter. "He's my treasure. I'd never hurt him."

Portia Rivera, Addiel's mother, said her life changed forever on Nov. 20, 2009.

"While a normal child learns how to walk, crawl and eat, I was learning how to work the machines that keep him alive," Rivera said in a moving statement to the judge. "Most likely, I'll never see my little boy play sports or graduate high school."

Defense lawyer Elizabeth Donnelly told Ashworth that Flores-Feliciano intends to appeal the verdict and sentence.

bhambright@lnpnews.com