SYRACUSE - An 18-year-old Syracuse woman sobbed Tuesday as she was sentenced to a maximum penalty of 1 1/3 to four years in prison for allowing her 20-month-old daughter to be fatally beaten last November.

Cherron Patterson also vowed to make sure that the teenage boyfriend accused in her daughter's death is convicted and goes to prison for the rest of his life.

“I don't blame anybody but myself for letting this happen,” Patterson tearfully told the judge. “I should have stopped this, but I didn't. I should have gotten her out of this sooner, but I didn't.”

Imani Jennings died from the injuries.

Patterson pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in April. Authorities said she also failed to get medical help after the beatings.

Anthony Weakfall, Patterson's 16-year-old boyfriend, is charged as an adult with second-degree murder.

Weakfall is accused of severely beating Imani between Nov. 1 and Nov. 21 with metal rods and tubes, a metal spring and a coaxial cable cord that left the girl with severe cuts, bruises and scars. Police said Weakfall delivered a fatal beating on Nov. 21 after the toddler had a potty-training accident.

Investigators said Patterson and Weakfall often went to school and left the child home alone with only a bowl of chicken nuggets and a glass of milk. Imani's daycare provider was charged with failure to report suspected child abuse, a misdemeanor.

First Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio and defense lawyer Christina Cagnina both said Patterson had been severely abused and neglected as a child herself. But Trunfio said that was no excuse for her failure to protect her daughter.

“Every creature in the animal kingdom has the maternal instinct to protect a child,” Trunfio said.