A Hispanic father has pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment after his teenage son tried to pull out his own teeth with pliers because he hadn't been taken to a dentist and was in so much pain

Francisco Torres, 40, from Pennsylvania, told a Northampton County judge that he procrastinated about getting his 14-year-old son dental care. Police say that the boy tried to pull out his teeth after complaining of pain for several months. He broke two teeth and needed emergency surgery to have the fragments removed. According to court records, Torres' son's pain became so great in January 2011 after complaining about it for months that he felt he had no choice but to pull out his teeth. His father still would not take the boy to a doctor when his mouth wouldn't stop bleeding and the pain persisted. The charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison. But under state sentencing guidelines, Torres' prior criminal record means a standard sentence could be six to 16 months in prison. When the judge asked him about his criminal past Torres said that there were some he couldn't remember and some he did not want to discuss in court. Torres told police that he could not take his son to a doctor because he had insurance problems. Police, however, said that Torres had a valid insurance card. Assistant District Attorney Kristine Blake provided information about Torres’ lengthy criminal record which included aggravated assault of a police officer, sexual assault, resisting arrest, making terroristic threats and assaulting a police officer. Torres has seven children, ranging in age from nine to 24.