After acquittal on two sexual molestation charges in a case almost four years ago, Lonnie Mark Faulk plead guilty to a charge of child molestation.

The plea hearing held in Pearl River County Circuit court Tuesday gave Faulk the opportunity to enter a plea to the latest charge against him.

According to the evidence read aloud to the court by the district attorney’s office, Faulk’s charges were based on events that took place at his home on Dec. 18, 2006. On that date Faulk was watching his niece at his house. During that time he removed the victim’s underpants and performed an oral sexual action on his niece in the kitchen and in the living room. The victim told him to stop and afterwards he gave her $8.

When the 8 year-old victim got home she told her mother what had happened. The mother confronted Faulk about the accusations, to which he apologized for what he did. Two attempts were made by Faulk to commit suicide due to the sex charges against him, according to the evidence presented.

Faulk entered a plea of guilty to the charge against him Tuesday.

After Judge Michael Eubanks heard the evidence from the district attorney’s office and he and the defendant’s legal representation conferred, Faulk was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Five of those years will be served, and the remaining 10 years he will be under post release supervision. Faulk was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine, court costs and ordered to stay away from the victim.

District Attorney Hal Kittrell said if any of those court orders are not met by Faulk during his post release years, he could be sent back to prison to serve out the remainder of that time.

After the hearing, Faulk, who entered the courtroom unrestrained and in plain clothes, was escorted out in handcuffs.

Kittrell said he is pleased with the outcome.

“A person that commits that kind of crime deserves to be there,” Kittrell said. “I’m just glad we got him where he belongs.”

The victim’s parents who were at the hearing had differing opinions over the outcome of the case. Scott Fendley, the victim’s father, said he is pleased with the outcome of Tuesday’s proceedings.

“I feel like justice was served,” Fendley said.

The victim’s mother was not so pleased.

“I honest to God feel like he needed more time for what he did to both my children,” said Loralea Fendley.

Fendley said Faulk had sexually abused two of her daughters and said another child is expected to come forward with additional charges.

Faulk was employed with NorthShore Regional Medical Center’s pediatric department until he resigned, Loralea Fendley said.

Circuit Court records show that Faulk was charged with child molestation and sexual battery in September of 2001 but was not convicted. The charges involved an 11 year-old daughter of a girlfriend of Faulk’s and allegedly occurred in November of 2000 and March of 2001.

Two trials took place based on those charges, one in May of 2003 and another in May of 2004, Kittrell said. The trial in 2003 ended in a mistrial and the 2004 trial ended in a hung jury. After going through those first two trials, the parents and the district attorneys office had a meeting and decided not to press the case further, Kittrell said.