A Butler man was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a girl over a two-year period.

James C. Haslett, 23, was sentenced Thursday to 17 months to five years for statutory sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. After being charged on March 6, 2019, with a number of other charges related to the case, Haslett pleaded guilty July 28, 2020, to the two felonies and all other charges were dropped.

State police began investigating Haslett on Dec. 21, 2018. Troopers observed a forensic interview of the victim. She related to authorities that Haslett began molesting her when she was 8 or 9 years old at her home in Bruin. She said that she was scared of Haslett because he was older and bigger than she was.

Several months later, police questioned Haslett at the Butler State Police barracks. Haslett told police that when he turned 16 years old, “his sexual urges became too great.” Around that time, he was staying at the victim's residence every other weekend and “began using her as a means to relieve” his urges. He admitted to molesting the victim for around two years.