HOCKING COUNTY — An Ohio man has received his sentence for the rape and sexual abuse of his fiancée’s 12-year-old daughter, according to a spokesperson from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
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Christian Hughes, 40, of Logan, has been sentenced to 20 ½ years to life in prison.
On Dec. 27, Hughes pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony charge of rape and third-degree felony charges of gross sexual imposition, intimidation and obstructing justice, the spokesperson said.
Evidence shows that Hughes abused the child for two years while living together.
“Living under the same roof as this monster left little hope of her escaping his horrifying abuse,” Yost said. “But monsters are powerless behind bars, and today’s sentence means this brave child no longer has to live in fear.”
The abuse stopped when the girl told a friend about it last year. The friend’s mother alerted law enforcement, the spokesperson said.
A Hocking County grand jury indicted Hughes in June.
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If Hughes is released from prison, he must complete five years of post-release control and register as a Tier III sex offender, the spokesperson said.
This classification will require Hughes to register his home address, work address, and vehicle information with the Sheriff’s Office of the county he lives in. He must verify this information every 90 days for the rest of his life.
Hughes is one of three people who were indicted in connection to this abuse.
The victim’s mother, Tanya Parker, pleaded guilty to a charge of endangering children in September. She is serving a three-year prison sentence, the spokesperson said.
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An investigation determined that she knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it.
Christian Hughes’ mother, Cathy Hughes, was also indicted.
She faces charges of obstructing justice, attempted obstructed justice, tampering with evidence, and attempted tampering with evidence, the spokesperson said.
Cathy’s case is pending in Hocking County Common Pleas Court.
This investigation was led by the Logan Police Department.