A former Bruin man who lives in Iowa will have to report as a sexual offender to police for the rest of his life and serve up to 36 months in prison following his sentencing Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court for abusing a young girl in 2014.

Carey Matthew Johns, 44, of Odebolt, Iowa, was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in the county prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of statutory sexual assault followed by six to 24 months in prison for pleading guilty to a felony charge of endangering the welfare of children. He was given credit for the 683 days he has served in jail.

In addition, Judge Kelley Streib found Johns to be a Tier 3 sexual offender under Megan’s Law.

Streib ordered Johns to report his address, vehicle ownership, internet identification, employment, education and other information to state police for the rest of his life, and submit to fingerprinting and photographs. She also ordered him to have no contact with children, to not have internet access and to not use social media.

Johns participated in the sentencing hearing through video conferencing from the county prison, where he is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.

His arrest followed an investigation that began in December 2018 when police received a report of suspected child abuse. The victim told authorities the suspect abused her between 2014 and 2016, when she was between 8 and 10 years old, according to police.

The alleged abuse took place at the home in Bruin where Johns was living at the time.