ALFRED — A Maine man has pleaded guilty to charges he assaulted his infant twins in 2014.

Anthony Carpinelli of Sanford was sentenced Monday to more than three years in prison in York County Superior Court after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated assault. He’s not allowed to have contact with his children or their mother as part of the sentence.

The infants, who were born prematurely, were less than 2 months old when police say Carpinelli, 23, hit and shook them in May 2014, sending them both to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland with serious injuries.

Willow Carpinelli had a serious head injury from a blow and was initially listed in critical condition. Haiden Carpinelli had internal injuries consistent with violent shaking; he was initially listed in serious condition. Both children were discharged from the hospital later that month.

The twins’ mother, Nichole Morrill, cried in court, saying the children, who were born premature in March, 2014, are still recovering from their injuries. She says one child suffers from seizures due to the assault.

Carpinelli’s lawyer says the “tragic” case has taken an emotional toll on his client.

Carpinelli was with the children the night they were injured while Morrill was out. Nichole Morrill returned the next day, found the children in distress and took them to Southern Maine Health Care’s emergency department in Biddeford.

The hospital notified the state Department of Health and Human Services’ child protection division, which alerted Sanford police. The infants eventually were transferred to the hospital in Portland.

Anthony Carpinelli was held without bail in the York County Jail because of the seriousness of the charges and because the crimes allegedly were committed against family members.

Carpinelli and Morrill lived with the twins and a 2-year-old daughter in a single room at Morrill’s brother’s home. The 2-year-old was not injured.

Carpinelli had no prior criminal record in Maine, according to the State Bureau of Identification.