Roy stepfather pleads guilty in toddler&apo..

Courts • Defendant admits to smothering stepdaughter in 2011.

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A Roy man accused of smothering his 2-year-old stepdaughter in 2011 has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Robert G. Abbott, 33, was originally charged in Ogden's 2nd District Court with first-degree felony child abuse homicide after the toddler's Sept. 8, 2011 death.

Last week, Abbott pleaded guilty to a lesser second-degree felony count of child abuse homicide. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 19.

According to plea agreement documents, Abbott admitted that he smothered the child by pushing her face "briefly into a pillow to get her to stop crying."

The girl's mother found the girl was unresponsive when she went to wake up her four children, according to police.

Former Roy police Chief Greg Whinham said shortly after the incident that Abbott admitted to police that using a pillow to quiet the child was something he had done before.

jmiller@sltrib.com

Roy stepfather pleads guilty in toddler's death