Correction: In a previous version of this article, the wrong name was used to identify the defendant George Hanson in paragraphs 8 and 10 of the article. We apologize for the error.

A man who prosecutors said committed “evil actions” will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman sentenced George Allen Hansen, 67, of Edwardsburg, to two sentences of 25 to 40 years in prison and one sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison on five charges of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. His sentences will run consecutively, giving him a total of 60 to 100 years behind bars.

As part of his sentence, Hanson is barred from communication with the victim or her family and must register as a sex offender. Upon release from prison, Hanson would be subjected to lifetime electronic monitoring.

The charges stem from events that took place between 2007 and 2014 in Mason Township. Hanson committed “countless” acts of sexual abuse, including sexual penetration, on a young girl who was living with him at the time, according to victim testimony. The victim was 9 years old at the time the assaults began.

Hanson was convicted by a jury for the crimes in August. During the trial, the victim took the stand, and prosecutors described the effects of the crime on the victim, now 19, to include flashbacks to the assault and difficulty sleeping.

Hanson maintains that he is not guilty of wrong doing, despite “ample” evidence to the contrary, according to court testimony.

“What you did, in this opinion, to this young girl is reprehensible when you look at the number of alleged assaults over the time period,” Herman said.

Hason groomed and molested the victim, said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz.

“A parent, I think, always hopes their child’s life will turn out like the movie ‘Snow White’ or something like that,” Fitz said. “But this man walked into this little girl’s life and made it ‘A Nightmare in Edwardsburg.’”

Though Hanson stole the victim’s innocence and changed her life forever, Fitz said, she was able to turn her life around and move on from the alleged assaults.

“She testified truthfully on the stand and persevered and changed her life for the better,” Fitz said. “Her actions have saved future victims of this defendant in this matter.”

During sentencing, Hanson’s lawyer James Miller asked that Hanson be sentenced at the low end of the guidelines for the first three counts of criminal sexual conduct and that the sentences run concurrently due to Hanson’s age and lack of prior criminal history.

“There is nothing that is going to make anybody feel any better after today,” Miller said. “The fact that [Hanson] worked his entire life to take care of himself and his family speaks well of his credibility.”

Despite this, Herman adhered to the sentencing recommendation and decided the sentences would run consecutively.

While Hanson is serving his lengthy sentence, the prosecution hopes that he will one day recognize the severity of his actions and the impact he had on his victim.

“We hope at some point, really for his own peace, [Hanson] will acknowledge and apologize to this young girl,” Fitz said.