Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Tellico Plains man is sentenced Tuesday, January 23 to more than two decades in prison for rape of a child.

Officials with the District Attorney’s Office say 36-year-old Brandon Wesley Lethco pled guilty to six counts of rape of a child and received a 25-year sentence. The DA says that sentence will be served at 100%.

“There is no place for criminals who abuse the innocence of a child within our community,” said District Attorney Shari Tayloe. “My office will continue to pursue these heinous acts with full force. I want to commend the hard work of my ADAs and law enforcement for bringing justice for this young victim.”

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Child Services collaborated with the DA to successfully obtain the conviction.

“No child should have to endure the pain of a case like this,” said Tayloe. “While we cannot give back what was taken from any victim, we will continue to seek justice in every case, especially in cases where children are abused.”