A Roane County man was sentenced yesterday in criminal court to 120 years in prison on child rape charges. Court officials say 40-year-old John Paul Little was found guilty by a jury in December 2016 on four counts of rape of a child. In court yesterday, the judge gave Little 30 years for each charge that must be served consecutively.

Authorities say the victim was five years old when the first rape happened and was nine when the last incident took place. Officers arrested Little on the child rape charges September 9, 2012. He was indicted by a Roane County grand jury soon after. While awaiting a court date in the Roane County jail, Little was allegedly attacked by a convicted sex offender.

Little has been in jail since early last year on a drug conviction. He was arrested in Morgan County in January 2016 after being charged with the manufacture, sell and delivery of meth and promotion of meth manufacture. The consecutive child rape convictions will start to be served when Little’s drug sentence stops.