A Piqua father who said he'd done all he could to keep his "fearless" three year old from getting out of the house was given another chance to keep the child safe.

Aaron Parsons, 24, exchanged comments with Judge Christopher Gee in Miami County Common Pleas Court in Troy during sentencing March 24 on Parsons' conviction for felony child endangering.

The charge stemmed from last year when Piqua police were called about a child riding a tricycle around a neighborhood without supervision. The resulting charge was the second time Parsons had been accused of child endangering involving the same child.

"It's a very sad day when the only option a child has is the parent who has been convicted twice of putting the child's life in jeopardy," Gee said.

Parsons replied he did nothing wrong and described the child as fearless. He said he had put locks on the door and pushed a table against the door to keep the child inside, but he crawled out a window.

"You are telling me the ability of a three year old is beyond the ability of the parent?" Gee said.

Defense lawyer Stephanie Gunter said the child's mother was jailed when she also was charged with child endangering after the child got away from her. The child, now 4, lives with the father.

Parsons said he took court ordered parenting classes and had learned a few things from them.

Gee said Parsons had taken steps to demonstrate he was possibly taking the situation with the child seriously so he wouldn't send him to prison.

He sentenced Parsons to two years of probation, a 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and prohibited him from having anyone else in the house overnight except the child and Parsons' mother, who baby sits for the child.

If police return to Parsons' home on a question involving the child's safety, he will face 18 months in prison, Gee said. "You need to step up because you are it for this kid right now," he said.