BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A judge sentenced a Dexter, Mo., man to 20 years in prison this week after a jury earlier convicted him of sexually assaulting a young girl.
Christopher E. Noble, 28, was convicted June 1 of the unclassified felony of first-degree statutory sodomy by a Stoddard County jury, according to Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver, who indicated the jury deliberated about 50 minutes before reaching its verdict.
During the one-day trial, Oliver said, the state presented testimony from the child victim, who was under the age of 12; her mother; and a Missouri Children's Division worker, who initially was told the allegations by the child.
The alleged abuse reportedly occurred in February 2016.
Oliver said the jury also was presented with the child's forensic interview.
The trial, according to Oliver, was short and straight forward.
The defense did not call any witnesses, and Noble, Oliver said, opted for judge sentencing.
Scott County Associate Circuit Judge Scott Horman ordered a sentencing assessment report be completed by Probation and Parole.
Horman reportedly reviewed the SAR and heard sentencing recommendations from Oliver and Noble's attorney on Monday.
"The state recommended one life sentence," which is computed at 30 years, Oliver said. "The defense argued for the statutory minimum of 10 years."
Horman sentenced Noble, who will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, to 20 years.
At sentencing, Oliver said, the only statement made by Noble was "he maintained that the jury got it wrong."
The charge, Oliver said, requires lifetime supervision.
"Even after he is paroled, he will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor for the rest of his life," Oliver said.