"I was raped," the juvenile wrote. "I will never forget this. ...; One day I will emerge as a beautiful butterfly and prove I am not useless."

PANAMA CITY — A Honduran caregiver convicted of molesting a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to nearly four decades in prison and deemed a sexual predator.

Maria Azucena Reyes-Lopez, 34, was arrested in October 2015 after the victim — only identified as a 12-year-old family member in court documents - told authorities about an incident in which she had been molested and forced to perform sexual acts upon Reyes-Lopez. The minor testified during Reyes-Lopez's trial, where she was found guilty as charged of 10 felony sex crimes. Reyes-Lopez was sentenced Monday to a total of 39 years in prison by Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet.

Reyes-Lopez wept loudly in the courtroom following the sentence as Overstreet allowed friends and family members to hug her one last time before being committed to prison.

During the course of her one-day trial on Nov. 18, the jury heard from several witnesses, including Reyes-Lopez and the child. Jurors spent about 45 minutes deliberating before reaching a guilty verdict. Although the child was not present during Monday's sentencing, prosecutor Christa Diviney read a statement from her before the court in which she wrote she was "broken but not forever broken" by the incident and called for a life sentence.

"I was raped," the juvenile wrote. "I will never forget this. ...; One day I will emerge as a beautiful butterfly and prove I am not useless."

Reyes-Lopez declined to comment during the sentencing, but her family members and fellow church parishioners advocated a sentence of mental health rehabilitation, citing a history of abuse perpetrated against Reyes-Lopez when she was a child.

However, Overstreet said Reyes-Lopez was in a position to prevent further sexual abuse to minors due to her "horrid" experience as a victim. He then refused leniency.

"If anything, she would be able to appreciate the impact her behavior would have on the victim," Overstreet said. "Who would better know the impact to the child than herself?"

Overstreet ordered Reyes-Lopez to not have contact with the victim unless requested by the victim. Restitution for the crime will be determined at a later date.