Florida corrections officer gets 3 years for assault

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida Department of Corrections officer has been sentenced to three years in federal prison after being convicted on a civil rights charge relating to assaulting an inmate.

Federal officials say Paul Tillis was convicted by a jury on Jan. 16 of violating the civil rights of an inmate at Florida State Prison near Starke by pouring a bottle of scalding water on the inmate's chest. The evidence also shows Tillis did not get medical treatment for the inmate who had second-degree burns to his chest.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King says the Department of Justice will prosecute corrections officers who commit acts of cruelty.