A former nurse practitioner and owner of the Connecticut Family Care Center in Vernon has been sentenced to 23 years in prison after trying to arrange a sexual encounter with an 18-month-old child and billing Medicaid for an office visit about setting it up, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice.

Jay T. Mohler-Avery, of Mountain Street in Hartford, was sentenced on Thursday on sexual assault and Medicaid fraud convictions. In addition to trying to set up sex with the infant, he sexually assaulted the 3-year-old child of a different woman, according to the prosecution

Authorities said Mohler-Avery took a particular interest in the 18-month-old daughter of one of his patients in October 2012 and asked her to bring the baby to his home so he could “break her in early.”

The mother, disturbed by what she heard during a medical appointment for herself and her husband, began working undercover with police, according to the prosecution, and Mohler-Avery never had any direct contact with the 18-month-old child.

Mohler-Avery offered to take the couple's children off their hands, among other things, according to the prosecutor. During a second appointment, he continued the disturbing conversation about the children, offered to perform ob-gyn services on the mother even though that was not what she was there for and insisted that she would like it.

Over the phone, the mother confronted Mohler-Avery about what he'd said during their appointments and asked her to come into the office to continue the discussion, according to the prosecution.

He then tried to bill Medicaid for the appointment with the mother for a conversation about her children and his lifestyle even though no medical treatment was provided, according to the Division of Criminal Justice and the prosecutor.

Mohler-Avery also aimed to turn the mother into his sex slave, Vernon police said.

He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree sexual assault, one count of risk of injury to a minor and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree sexual assault. Mohler-Avery pleaded no contest to one count of insurance fraud.

Mohler-Avery will serve 23 years behind bars and 20 years on parole. He’s also required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to a restraining order against the victim until 2068.

The APRN lost his nursing license in November 2012 and has been in prison since his arrest.

Candace Merriam, Mohler-Avery’s former personal assistant, was also arrested in connection with the incident.