KALAMAZOO, MI - For several years, Douglas E. Sackrider sexually assaulted a young girl before an incident in March finally brought his crimes to light.

Now, he'll spend at least the next seven years in prison.

"You're a sick, sick man," Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Gary C. Giguere Jr. told Sackrider Monday. "You ruined your family, you've ruined your life, you've ruined the lives of generations from now."

Sackrider, 45, of Schoolcraft, was arrested in March and charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

He pleaded guilty June 15 to one count of first-degree CSC. As part of a plea agreement, the remaining charges were dismissed and prosecutors reserved their right to make a sentence recommendation that would not exceed 114 months to 30 years in prison.

The charges against Sackrider stemmed from what Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Williams said was a series of sexual assaults on a young girl that began when the girl was between 12 and 13 years old and took place over "a number of years."

Williams said Sackrider was arrested in March following an incident "that caused this pattern of behavior to be revealed."

The victim, who is a relative of Sackrider, did not speak in court on Monday. Williams noted that she and her mother submitted written victim-impact statements for Giguere's consideration.

Williams told Giguere he has been impressed by the strength the girl and her mother have shown since Sackrider's arrest and the way that they have sought help for the teen. He asked Giguere to sentence Sackrider to a minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Sackrider's minimum sentencing guideline range was 51 months to 85 months in prison meaning that Giguere had the option of sentencing Sackrider to a minimum sentence of at least 51 months and as high as 85 months.

Giguere sentenced Sackrider to 85 months (7 years, 1 month) to 30 years in prison with credit for 45 days already served.

"If there was ever a case that did not need any hyperbole ... it would be this one," Williams said, noting the severity of Sackrider's crimes and the length of time during which they took place.

Sackrider's attorney, Donald H. Smith, said Monday that his client realized the severity of what he did to the young girl. However, Smith said he wasn't sure that Sackrider necessarily understood how it was he came to be before Giguere on Monday.

"Evil's like a fungus and you don't realize what it is until it's there," Smith said. "At some point and time, my client believed a lie and he believed that something that was not OK was OK. He's going to make good use of his time (in prison) ... to figure out how that happened."

When it was his turn to speak Monday, Sackrider apologized for his actions and told Giguere that he was "going to spend every day getting the help that I need to figure out what happened."

Giguere said Sackrider had one prior misdemeanor on his record before his arrest in March and nothing in his background that would point to him committing the crimes he was sentenced for on Monday. He also said Sackrider had a strong family and a long employment history.

Despite his history, Giguere said there was no excuse for Sackrider's "repulsive" acts.

"There are very few crimes that are consistent from society to society, generation to generation, that just remain so repulsive to the concepts of dignity and humanity," Giguere said. "This is one of those ... How that first step is ever taken and how it progresses to the level it progressed to in this case, I just don't get.

"It's just awful," the judge added.

Rex Hall Jr. is a public safety reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach him at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.