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REXBURG — A convicted felon formally living in Sugar City will spend time in prison after a teen claimed he sexually abused her between 60 to 85 times over two years.

On Monday, District Judge Steven Boyce ordered James D. Hill, 31, to spend a maximum of 13 and a-half-years in prison after Hill pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery and felony injury to a child. Prosecutors originally charged Hill with one count of felony child sex abuse by soliciting a minor under 16 and a felony count of lewd conduct with a child, but they were amended as part of an Alford plea agreement.

An Alford plea is a guilty plea where a defendant continues to assert their innocence but admits a jury would likely find them guilty with the evidence presented.

“Mr. Hill maintains that he did not commit the crimes he was charged with and that he is innocent of wrongdoing in this matter,” defense attorney Sean Bartholick said in a statement to EastIdahoNews.com.