Man who slapped toddler on plane gets 8 months

ATLANTA - Joe Hundley, an Idaho man who pleaded guilty to slapping a crying toddler on an Atlanta-bound flight, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison Monday.

Hundley pleaded guilty in October after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Hundley also used a racial slur to refer to the 19-month-old boy, who's black, and hit him under the eye as the flight from Minneapolis descended to the Atlanta airport last February.

Prosecutors had recommended six months in prison. The judge said he imposed a higher sentence in part because of Hundley's criminal history, which includes a prior assault.

Hundley's lawyer objected to the deviation from the recommendation in the plea agreement and said after the hearing that she believes the sentence is disproportionate.