A Mississippi man has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for the sexual battery of a child under 14 years old.

Attorney General Lynn Fitch on Thursday announced the sentencing of James Lawrence “Larry” Brown, Jr. of Madison County, who was investigated and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Victims Unit.

On Oct. 17, Sunflower County Circuit Court Judge Richard A. Smith sentenced Brown to 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with ten of those years to serve, day for day, for one count Sexual Battery of a Child Under 14.

“There is perhaps no more heinous crime than the sexual abuse of a child,” said Fitch. “This is exactly the kind of case my Special Victims Unit is especially qualified to investigate and prosecute. It is my hope and prayer that closing this chapter with justice served will help this young victim find a pathway to healing and recovery.”

Brown will be required to register as a sex offender.