A Buchanan man was sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a teenage girl he picked up on the side of the road in November.

On Monday, Berrien County Judge Dennis Wiley sentenced Donald Fester, 26, to seven to 15 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person between the ages of 13 and 15.

Fester pleaded guilty earlier to both counts.

The offense took place on Nov. 25 when Fester offered the 14-year-old victim a ride in his vehicle on River Road near Red Bud Trail in Buchanan. Fester then sexually assaulted the girl at two different locations in Niles Township before dropping her off at a mobile home park in the Buchanan area.

Police soon received an image of the suspect and the suspect’s vehicle that was taken at a gas station in Buchanan. They released the image on Facebook and to the media.

Numerous tips led to the arrest of Fester by police the following day.

Fester received 90 days credit for jail time already served. He must register as a sex offender and pay fines and costs in the amount of $2,016.