A father who whipped his 17-year-old son with a belt has been placed on probation after entering a no-contest plea to child abuse charges.The father, Benito Romo Garcia, 45, opted not to enter a regular guilty plea but instead told Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley he was entering his plea bargain agreement in his best interest. In the end, the best-interest plea has the same legal impact as a guilty plea.As result of his best-interest plea, Garcia will be granted an 11-month, 29-day judicial diversion and must perform 32 hours public service work and attend parenting classes. He can ask that his criminal record be erased at the end of his year-long probation.According to McMinnville policeman Marty Cantrell, the father was arrested when he went to the Garcia home to answer the call of an unruly juvenile.