An Illinois man has been found guilty of beating to death his girlfriend ’ s 3-year-old son after the toddler uttered a swear word while playing video game Mortal Kombat . A judge Tuesday convicted Thomas Albea , of Waukegan , of first-degree murder in the 2011 killing of X ’ Zavion Charleston . During Albea 's two-day bench trial , the prosecution presented in court the defendant ’ s videotaped confession , in which the 22-year-old admitted to striking the little boy 'four of five times , ’ although a coroner has concluded that the child likely suffered no fewer than seven blows . Justice for X'Zavion : Thomas Albea ( left ) , 22 , of Illinois , has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of 3-year-old X ’ Zavion Charleston ( right ) Cruel punishment : Prosecutors said Albea repeatedly struck the toddler in the abdomen after X'Zavion uttered a swear word while playing the video game Mortal Kombat . The incident took place at around 11pm on September 14 , 2011 , while Albea , then 18 years old , was looking after his girlfriend ’ s son in the 1700 block of McAree Road . Prosecutors said little X'Zavion was playing the violent fighting game Mortal Kombat while waiting for his dinner when he used an unspecified expletive , followed by the words , 'he got me , ' reported Chicago Tribune . Albea responded to the child 's outburst by striking him in the abdomen . The teen suspect initially told police that he hit X'Zavion only once , but he later admitted that he struck the toddler multiple times . The boy was rushed to Children ’ s Memorial Hospital in Chicago , where he died the next day from what the Cook County Medical Examiner described in the autopsy report as 'catastrophic ' injuries to his internal organs and abdomen . Albea 's then-girlfriend , Qa ’ Chelle Charleston , was upstairs at the time of her son 's killing . Cover-up : Albea initially told his then-girlfriend , Qa ’ Chelle Charleston ( left ) , that her son had fallen . A medical examiner later determined that X'Zavion ( right ) suffered 'catastrophic ' injuries to his internal organs . When she came down to feed her son and noticed that something was wrong with him , Albea lied to her that X'Zavion had fallen . Albea 's attorney , Gillian Gosch , argued during the trial that her client did not intend to kill or seriously hurt X'Zavion . But Judge Mark Levitt rejected Gosch 's argument and subsequent plea for a not guilty verdict , stating that the extent of the 3-year-old 's injuries shows that the brutal attack was more than an act of recklessness , or an attempt to discipline the boy for his transgression . Albea could face 20 to 60 years in prison when he is sentenced April 22 .
Thomas Albea , 22 , convicted of first-degree murder in 2011 beating death of 3-year-old X ’ Zavion Charleston . Prosecutors said Albea repeatedly struck the toddler in the abdomen after X'Zavion used bad language while playing a video game . Albea initially told his then-girlfriend , Qa ’ Chelle Charleston , that her son had fallen ; he late admitted to striking him at least 4-5 times . A medical examiner determined that X'Zavion suffered 'catastrophic ' injuries to his internal organs .