By Patti Weaver
STILLWATER — A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison followed by nine years of probation with an order to undergo random drug tests for neglecting and abusing his then-girlfriend’s 6-year-old son whose genitals were injured with a safety pin or other sharp instrument while he was living in her Stillwater home in October of 2024.
Jesse Thomas Edens Jr. had avoided a jury trial in January by pleading guilty to the charges without an agreement with the prosecution regarding his penalty, which could have been as much as life in prison. Edens was sentenced on April 6 by Payne County Associate District Judge Michael Kulling, who scheduled his case for judicial review on Feb. 2, 2027.
Edens’ former girlfriend, Taylor Melody Hightower, 27, now of Woodward, pleaded guilty to neglecting and enabling abuse of her son. She was placed on 10 years’ probation on Oct. 7, 2025, with an order to have a substance abuse evaluation, take any recommended treatment, and have no contact with the child unless modified by court order.
The boy was removed from the home on Oct. 30, 2024, and taken to OU Children’s Hospital by the state Department of Human Services for treatment, according to an affidavit by Stillwater Police Officer Kurt Merrill. The 6-year-old spent three days in the hospital, according to a pre-sentencing investigation by the state Department of Corrections.
Now eight-years-old, the boy is in the custody of his biological father and his fiancé, who said he “had issues sleeping, experiencing nightmares and acting out in school,” and “began drawing violent pictures depicting the scene of his abuse. He does not feel comfortable being around his biological mother, Taylor Hightower.
“They described this was not the first time that Edens Jr. had hurt him. He had returned from prior visits with Hightower with bruises and had made statements about being scared of Edens Jr. It is their wish that Edens Jr. be sentenced to a term of incarceration that would exceed 10 years so that the boy is an adult when Edens Jr. would be released from DOC,” according to the pre-sentencing investigation report.
On Oct. 30, 2024, Stillwater police and DHS Child Welfare had been notified by staff at the boy’s grade school he was complaining of an injury to his private parts, an affidavit said. He was taken to the Saville Center for Child Advocacy for a forensic interview and medical examination, the affidavit said.
“During the forensic interview, he disclosed that he had injured his private parts. He was told that a dog had torn his private parts while he was sleeping,” the affidavit said.
The police officer, who interviewed Edens and Hightower, wrote in his affidavit, “Edens had been home when the boy had his scrotum torn. Both Hightower and Edens stated that the boy had been kept home from school on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, because the boy had eaten a THC edible in the early morning of that day and was under the influence of THC that morning. While sleeping on that morning, Edens claimed that a dog ran across the boy and tore his scrotum.
“Over the next few days, the boy was not taken to see a medical professional. Edens under the supervision of Hightower would bandage the boy’s scrotum. On Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, the boy’s penis became inflamed and became swollen. Edens with the approval of Hightower used a small needle to poke holes in the skin of the boy’s penis to relieve the swelling.
“They continued to bandage and clean the lacerated scrotum until Oct. 30, 2024, when the boy was removed from the home and taken to OU Children’s Hospital by DHS for treatment. Edens and Hightower were afraid that the boy would be removed from them if they sought medical treatment, and it was learned that the boy had ingested THC.”
The boy “had displayed diarrhea for several days following the injury on Oct. 25, 2024, including an accidental bowel movement at school. At no time did Hightower seek medical treatment,” for her child, the affidavit said.
