A Butler County judge denied a request Wednesday from a Cranberry Township man to be released from the last two years of the probation he is serving as part of the sentence he received in 2018 when he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a young girl in 1996 and 1997.

Stephen James Manning, 74, petitioned the Common Pleas Court for termination of the probation he is serving for his conviction on two felony charges of aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old.

Judge Kelley Streib denied the motion at the conclusion of a brief hearing.

The victim objected to the early termination, District Attorney Richard Goldinger said.

Manning, a Florida native, was sentenced to serve eight to 16 months in the county prison followed by 60 months of probation and required to register as a sex offender with state police for the rest of his life after pleading guilty in January 2018.

With about two years of probation remaining to be served, Manning testified that he wants to move back to Sarasota, Fla., to be reunited with his wife, who is struggling with neck and spine issues caused by a 2020 car accident, and help raise their 15-year-old daughter.

A retired certified public accountant, Manning said traveling to Florida to see his wife and daughter is too expensive. He said he lives in a home he bought in Cranberry Township in 2010. He is being represented by attorney John Thomas Haller Jr.

Under cross examination from Goldinger, Manning said he hasn’t lived with his wife since January 2018 and he talks to his daughter daily through a social media app.

He estimated that he has volunteered 350 hours since 2018 working as a bookkeeper and performing other administrative work for the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center.

Probation officer Brad Pinkerton, who supervises Manning, said a court order allowing Manning to move to Florida but requiring him to report electronically to the county probation office couldn’t be followed because Florida refused to accept supervision over Manning.

He said Manning could move to Florida if the court terminates his probation.

Streib said she signed the Jan. 10 order allowing Manning to move to Florida and requiring him to report electronically to the probation office, but later learned that arrangement was not feasible and vacated the order on Jan. 13.

Goldinger said he applauds Manning for volunteering at the Purvis center and acknowledged that he has worked to become an upstanding citizen, but he had to object to the motion because the victim objects.

“I could never comprehend the trauma she has gone through,” Goldinger said.

Streib also said she recognizes Manning’s efforts to become a good citizen, and understands his reasons for filing the motion, but said the victim’s interests prevail.