A Snellville man will spend the rest of his life in prison after sexually assaulting a young girl for nearly a decade — and impregnating her when she was just 13 years old.

Following his conviction Thursday on charges including aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery and statutory rape, 33-year-old Kevin Blackwell was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years. He has been in the Gwinnett County jail since his arrest in Aug. 2014.

According to information released by the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, Blackwell began molesting the girl when she was 7 years old and began having sex with her three years later. She was impregnated at age 13 and taken to get an abortion.

The girl was 15 years old when she reported the abuse.

"The victim chose to come forward because of the Defendant's statements to her that he was going to start touching her sister, who was now 7 years old," the district attorney's office said in a news release.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

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