Photo by Michele Newbanks Lucas Haynes listens to attorney Ray Smith's defense before Monday's sentencing for one count of gross sexual imposition.

A 23-year-old Marietta man was sentenced to four years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.

Lucas Trey Haynes was arrested April 1 for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl. He was originally charged with five counts of gross sexual imposition, but pleaded down to one count in May.

The first to speak at Monday’s sentencing was the victim’s mother, who sobbed as she said her daughter just wanted to have a normal life.

“She told me that people make mistakes and that she felt he’s sorry. I told her that it’s good to feel that way,” said the mother, who is currently pregnant with Hayes’ child. “She acts like she’s not afraid of him.”

The girl’s mother asked the court for leniency for Haynes as she gave her statement.

She also said her daughter is going to therapy to have someone to talk to.

Washington County Assistant Prosecutor David Silwani said the state was asking for the maximum penalty in this case.

“He admitted that he, in fact, did touch her. What’s concerning for the state is that you can tell there was grooming behavior in this case,” Silwani told the court. “It started with wrestling and eventually led to touching. In fact, after he confessed that it wasn’t just touching, it was skin on skin touching…and while he was doing it, he was masturbating. It wasn’t out of curiosity, it was for sexual gratification. That’s something the court needs to seriously consider.”

During an interview, the victim disclosed three incidents when Hayes touched her, but Hayes eventually confessed to touching her five times.

Silwani said that the only punishment sufficient for this case should be five years in prison, as Haynes’ behavior was “absolutely abhorrent and cannot be tolerated in this county or anywhere else.”

Ray Smith, Haynes’ attorney, told Washington County Common Pleas Judge Randall Burnsworth that he should have a more lenient sentence as Haynes confessed to police and has had no true criminal record.

“To the seriousness of the offense, the (pre-sentence investigation report) of touching could have been a lot worse in terms of the nature of the touching, but it is what it is,” Smith said.

Smith said he knew that a prison sentence was going to happen and that Haynes would be labeled a sex offender, but “it would hardly be enjoyable where he’s going to go.” He then asked for the judge to only give Haynes one year in prison.

A visibly shaken Haynes took the opportunity to speak in his own behalf, saying “I know there was no justifying what I did.”

“I know I caused pain to more than just one person. I understand what I did was horrible,” Haynes said. “That is not who I am. If I had an answer for what I did, I’d give it to you.”

He also apologized to “everyone who’s had to deal with this.”

As part of his sentencing, Haynes also received a mandatory five years post-release control.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.