SPARTA — A judge on Thursday sentenced a Sparta sex offender who raped a young girl to three consecutive life sentences in prison.

A jury in Monroe County Circuit Court on June 29 convicted Harland Swenson Jr., 50, of three counts of sexual assault of a child for assaulting the 10-year-old girl in 2014.

“Something precious was taken from her and that was her childhood innocence,” Judge Mark Goodman said. “Her life has changed forever.”

A life sentence was mandatory because of Swenson’s prior conviction for assaulting a child, but District Attorney Kevin Croninger argued that consecutive life terms sends a message to the victim that police and the jury heard her voice and gives courage to other victims who haven’t stepped forward.

“Sexual assault of children is a heinous and disgusting act,” he said. “Our society has no room for people who engage in that type of conduct.”

Attorney Russell Hammer said the prosecutor did not prove his case and that Swenson will appeal. Swenson did not make a statement, and no one spoke on his behalf.

A Vernon County judge sentenced Swenson to four years in prison in 1993 for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy.