Sign up for our COVID-19 newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest coronavirus news throughout New York City

A Pennsylvania man accused of molesting a 10-year-old girl until she was a teenager was adamant at his sentencing hearing that he did nothing wrong.

The Herald of Sharon, Pa., reported that Merrell “Moe” Sanders pleaded no contest to two counts of rape – but admitted no wrongdoing. Prosecutors told The Herald that Sanders lays responsibility for the acts on his victim, saying she “initiated sex with him.” The proceedings are taking place in Mercer County in Pennsylvania’s northwest region.

Child abuse is a serious problem in Pennsylvania. In 2013, the state saw 26,944 reports of suspected abuse, including sexual abuse, or neglect and substantiated 3,425 of those reports, according to the state’s Department of Public Welfare.

RELATED: Massachusetts State Police add accused child rapist to most wanted list

That year, 53 percentof all substantiated reports involved sexual abuse – and80 percent of child sexual abuse victims in Pennsylvania were girls.

The Morning Call added that Mercer County Judge Daniel Wallace told Sanders that, absenta sincere acknowledgment of his crimes, he’ll probably get the maximum penalty of 20 years.

Sanders’ attorney, Randall T. Hetrick, told The Herald he thinks Sanders refusal to accept responsibility is confounding –but unfortunately common in cases like his.

“Because the facts are so horrible,” Hetrick reportedly said, “it’s the hardest kind of case to admit to.”