A Tulsa man accused of sexually abusing a young girl accepted a plea agreement that will send him to prison for 25 years--the minimum sentence for his crimes.

Jimmy Earnest Hill, 58, was arrested in March and charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a child under 12. He was accused of molesting a girl beginning when she was only 3 years old and continuing until July 2014, when she was 7 years old. He has been held without bond in the Tulsa County Jail since his arrest on March 25.

On Monday, Hill pleaded guilty to all four counts against him. Tulsa County District Judge Jefferson Sellers sentenced Hill to 25 years in prison for each count, ordering that all four sentences are to be served concurrently. Because sexual abuse of a child is an 85 Percent Crime, Hill must serve 85% of his sentence--or 21 years--before becoming eligible for parole. This means that the man will not even have the possibility of parole until he is 79 years old. If he lives to complete his sentence, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Sexual abuse of a child, defined in 21 O.S. § 843.5, involves child molestation by someone who is responsible for the care and protection of a child under 18--often a parent or other relative. In general, child sexual abuse carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, but if the child involved is under the age of 12, then the sentence is enhanced to include a minimum sentence of 25 years.

If the person accused of sexually molesting a child is not a relative or caregiver, then the crime is typically charged as lewd or indecent proposals or acts to a child under 16. Lewd acts with a minor (21 O.S. § 1123) is typically punishable by 3 to 20 years in prison. Like child sexual abuse, however, the penalties are strengthened if the child involved is younger than 12. Lewd acts with a child under 12 is punishable by 25 years to life. In all cases, child sexual abuse and lewd or indecent acts or proposals to a child under 16 are Level 3 sex crimes that mandate lifetime sex offender registration upon the completion of any sentence.

Learn more about Oklahoma sex offender registration here, or call Coventon Criminal Defense at (405) 417-3842 to speak confidentially with a sex crimes defense lawyer about your case.