— A Roxboro minister was sentenced Wednesday to serve up to 40 years in federal prison after he accepted a plea deal of making and possessing child pornography in a case where prosecutors said he carried on a sexual relationship with an underage boy that spanned several years.

Andre Thorpe, 36, was indicted in May 2018, and as part of the plea deal he was convicted on one count of possessing pornography and one count of manufacturing pornography.

He was also sentenced to lifetime probation.

The case originally started out in state court but was moved to the federal courts after Thorpe was accused of driving the 13-year-old male victim across state lines.

During his sentencing, Thorpe apologized to Judge James Dever and the boy, who is now 19 years old, for his actions.

"The boy was special to me," he said. "I looked at him as one of my children."

The judge rejected Thorpe's apology, however, saying that parents don't sexually abuse their children.

Decembre Pierce said she met Thorpe at church in Durham in 2014, which is when he took an interest in her son.

She said her son's behavior started to change.

"My son's whole attitude and personality began to change," she said. "He became a whole different person."

Pierce says Thorpe kidnapped her son from her home in Georgia where they moved to get away from him.

Raleigh police found Thorpe with the teen.

"Luckily, RPD was able to recover him and charge him initially with some crimes that got the attention of authorities," said Melanie Shekita, a Wake County prosecutor.

Thorpe was arrested in June 2018 as part of a nationwide sting of adults who preyed on children.

"Operation Broken Heart" targeted suspected online child sex offenders last year during a three-month, nationwide operation between March and May.

During the sentencing, the boy's mother tearfully told the court that Thorpe had destroyed the family's trust because he was a con man.

"I had a flood of emotions in my heart and my mind," she said, adding that her feelings ranged from hatred to anger and disappointment, "because I trusted him."

She said she and her son moved to Georgia, in part to escape from Thorpe, who kidnapped the boy from his home there. During court, it was revealed that Thorpe had his name tattooed on his victim.

Thorpe has been identified as a suspect in other underage child sex cases, but this was the first one where he has been convicted.

Officials said Thorpe, who was affiliated with several churches in the Triangle, met his victims at church and during his involvement with the Boys and Girls Club of Durham.