A Pearl River County man who pleaded guilty to charges of child molestation was sentenced to 15 years.

Leslie Sonnier pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 23, before Judge R.I. Prichard and was sentenced on Jan. 30, to 15 years, day to day, with no possibility of parole, according to a press release form the 15th District Attorney press release.

District Attorney Hal Kittrell said the victim was an 8 year-old child who was staying with Sonnier at the time of the incident. The victim had no blood relation to Sonnier but considered Sonnier a relative and had moved in with him for a time.

“Crimes against children are some of the most heinous crimes we deal with as a society,” Kittrell said in the release. “We hope this conviction and sentence can bring some closure to the victims of this man. We would also like to thank the Picayune Police Department for their investigation into the case.”