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NILES — An Elkhart man is going to prison for sexually molesting a young child last year. He was  sentenced Monday in Berrien County Trial Court at the Niles courthouse.

Donterious Tirrelle-Lee Parchman, 30, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and was sentenced to seven years to 49 years in prison. He has credit for 168 days already served and must pay $258 in fines and costs.

      Parchman is required to be on lifetime electronic monitoring and also register on the sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

      The incidents occurred in April and May of 2024 in Niles.

      Parchman tried unsuccessfully to withdraw his plea, saying he was not fully informed when he accepted a plea deal from the prosecutor’s office that removed the mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.

      Berrien County Trial Court Judge Gordon Hosbein denied the motion, saying that he had explained all the elements of the plea agreement at the time of the plea more than a month ago and that Parchman had not had any questions. “He said the plea was his choice and explained what he did,” the judge said. “I find no reason to let him withdraw his plea.”

      In comments before the sentencing, Assistant Prosecutor Jerry Vigansky called Parchman’s actions “reprehensible.” “I think he should serve as much time in prison as possible,” he said. “The victim was six years old, this is reprehensive conduct. He deserves any time he gets.”

      Defense attorney Carri Briseno said Parchman suffers extreme anxiety and is broken up about what happened. “He said his memory of the incident is clouded,” she said. “He had been binging on cocaine, meth and alcohol at the time which could have impaired his ability to control his impulses.”

      Parchman continued to maintain his innocence despite his decision to plead guilty.

      “All too often we forget the victim,” Judge Hosbein said. “This is a life offense for the victim. She will have to deal with the repercussions of this incident the rest of her life. It is a lifetime of trauma for her.”

      The judge said he was concerned about Parchman’s lack of remorse for his actions. “You have a circular argument about what happened,” he told Parchman. “You say she was lying, that she was told to lie and that you were on drugs. You should never be around children for the rest of your life.”