A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for impregnating a ten-year-old.
37-year-old Tony Orlanda Singleton was found guilty of first degree sexual assault on a minor. DNA evidence from the aborted fetus of the ten year old girl showed that he was the father, the Associated Press reports. (RELATED: Jayme Closs’ Kidnapper Sentenced To Life In Prison)
“This girl should be getting ready to go back to school, making friends, braiding her hair – things other girls her age typically are engaged in,” said prosecutor Hunter Swanson. “Instead, she’s in a courtroom, reliving a horrific ordeal.”
“Tony Singleton is to blame for that. This man was someone she trusted, someone who lurked inside her home, someone who changed the fabric of his victim’s life forever.”
The convicted rapist had come into contact with the victim because he knew her mother. In April of 2016, Singleton had impregnated the girl after entering a room where she was watching SpongeBob Square Pants, turned off the lights and proceeded to rape her.
Singleton had previously been convicted for traffic and drug offenses.
It took jurors less than an hour to decide Singleton was guilty and Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen sentenced him to life without the possibility of parole.