The father of the 4-year-old boy kidnapped from his bed and dumped dead on a Dallas street says he will never forgive himself for leaving his son and his twin brother with a friend while he skipped town under a cloud of legal problems.

Trevor Gernon released a recorded statement on his sister’s YouTube account both apologizing for not taking care of his son Cash and asking the public not to be too hard on him.

Gernon said that when he moved to Dallas, he moved in with an old friend, Monica Sherrod, and when he moved back to Houston “after an unsuccessful job hunt amongst other things,” he decided they would be better off with her.

“I felt it was in the boys’ best interest to not disrupt their routine,” he said of Cash and his brother, Carter, who was not harmed and is now with his mother.

“They were comfortable, they were around other kids, and from what it appeared, Monica was a trustworthy person. This choice I made with best of intentions has resulted in a most horrific outcome.”

On May 15, an intruder was caught on a baby monitor camera sneaking into Cash and Carter’s bedroom at Sherrod’s home and lifting the still-sleeping boy from his bed.

Two hours later, a passer-by found the child’s body tossed on the street. Police said he had been stabbed.

Darriynn Brown, 18, who has some nebulous ties to Sherrod’s family, was charged with kidnapping and burglary, but police are waiting for the results of forensic tests to make a decision on murder charges. Investigators have not released a motive, and Brown’s mother has said she believes her son is being framed.

Sherrod told reporters that Gernon left town after being ordered by a court into rehab. CrimeOnline obtained court records showing several outstanding charges against Gernon in Harris County.

Gernon referenced his legal issues, saying in the recording, “I have to fear for my freedom, as it is the goal of some to see me go to jail rather than grieve the loss of my little boy.” He did not disclose his location or legal status.

Crying at times, he did take responsibility for failing to protect the twins.

“I have paid the most ultimate and painful price for my poor judgment and I have to live with this devastation every single day,” he said.

“I will never forgive myself. If I could, I would go back and do everything different. This is a nightmare that doesn’t go away once I open my eyes in the morning. We just don’t understand how this could happen to such a bright and cheerful kid.”

Addressing the boys’ mother, Melinda Seagroves, he added, “I am so sorry that I failed to keep him safe. That is my job as his dad and I was not able to do that and I’m sorry.”

As The Daily Beast reported, Gernon has racked up a string of arrests over the years, serving 68 days in county lockup for a 2018 assault on his father during an argument over a credit-card bill.

Following his indictment on felony drug possession charges last November, he failed to appear for a March 29, 2021, hearing and thus forfeited a $10,000 bond payment. There is now an open warrant out for his arrest.

Johnny Flanagan, whose son gave Gernon a job at his shop until they had a falling-out, told The Daily Beast: “He’s one of these guys that kind of goes whichever way the wind blows, you know, and he’ll do good for several months and then do bad for several months and you know, just up and disappear.”

In the recording, Gernon pleaded for mercy in the court of public opinion.

“I’m barely getting through a day that doesn’t take me to a dark place,” he said. “I hope you all could understand how fragile we all are and how quickly things can turn upside down…

“I would hope that we can all cooperate and band together to make sure Cash gets the justice he deserves.”