ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A man will spend at least 12 years in prison for his role in the death of his infant daughter.

Cameron Javon Cothran was sentenced Tuesday to 12-17.5 years in prison by Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra for the accidental fentanyl overdose death of his 13-month-old child, according to Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan. Flanagan maintained that Cothran deserved this sentence.

Flanagan said that his office sought the highest possible charge for this case, which was involuntary manslaughter. He indicated that it is the exact same charge as if Cothran would have sold drugs to someone who ultimately died from a drug overdose.

In this case, Flanagan said that a bag that contained fentanyl residue was in Cothran’s house and his infant child put the contents of the bag in her mouth. DNA from the bag confirmed this, according to Flanagan. A law enforcement investigation ultimately led to this conviction and sentence, said Flanagan.

On April 24, East Ohio Regional Hospital notified the Martins Ferry Police Department of a nonresponsive infant who was brought to its emergency room for treatment. The infant had white residue on her hands that was tested by an officer and tested positive for fentanyl. Immediately after that, officers from Martins Ferry contacted the drug unit of the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office and the Bellaire Police Department. These jurisdictions were notified because the residence where the child gained access to the drug was in Bellaire, according to Flanagan. Officers immediately secured the scene and applied for a search warrant. This quick action allowed them to preserve the evidence that would have been used against Cothran had this case gone to trial, Flanagan said.

The child was flown by medical helicopter to a PIttsburgh hospital but later died.

“This case is so very upsetting. Mr. Cothran’s criminal record was atrocious. At the sentencing hearing, Cothran blamed his own addiction for why he was possessing fentanyl,” Flanagan said after the sentencing. “I do not agree. Based on the evidence amassed by our investigators including the large amount of money seized at the crime scene, we believe that Mr. Cothran was, in fact, trafficking in drugs.

“Regardless, it was his drug activities that led to his daughter’s death, and that can never be undone,” the prosecutor said.

Cothran, 38, is a Cleveland resident who had been living in Bellaire, according to Sheriff David Lucas. He had been raising the child on his own because the mother was incarcerated.

Flanagan noted that Vavra considered in formulating the appropriate sentence that Cothran had 12 prior felonies from five different cases in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, with many of those being drug cases.

“His history finally caught up with him. Unfortunately, an innocent child had to pay a greater price,” Flanagan said. “The invasion of fentanyl into our society has caused tremendous heartache for a lot of people given the number of overdose deaths. In this case, Mr. Cothran was to protect his child. Instead, he allowed access to one of the most potent drugs on the street. He failed her in so many ways.”

Flanagan credited the law enforcement officers from Belmont County, Bellaire and Martins Ferry for their collaborative efforts, especially Detective Dustin Hilderbrand, who spearheaded the investigation.

“These officers go about their work in a highly professional manner. They are, however, human and are affected by the number of overdose calls for which they have to respond. Every overdose case is difficult for them, and in a case like this where a child is involved, it affects them that much more. We truly appreciate their efforts,” Flanagan added.