Ex-Corrections Officer Who Sexually Abused 12-Year-Old Girls Gets 6 Life Sentences

A former Florida corrections officer was sentenced Thursday to serve six consecutive life sentences after he was convicted by a jury of child sex abuse and battery charges.

James Touchton, 40, was working as a corrections officer at Lowell Correctional Institute in Marion County, Florida, when he was arrested in March 2019.

The arrest came after two girls under the age of 12 reported that Touchton had begun abusing them in August 2018, the Citrus County Chronicle reported, citing Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

The victims detailed multiple incidents of abuse to detectives, WTVT reported.

"He used his authority over these two juveniles to manipulate them into unspeakable acts," Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in a statement after Touchton's 2019 arrest.

"A possible lifetime in prison sentence for James Touchton is nothing in comparison to the physical and emotional harm he has inflicted on his victims," the statement continued.

Since his arrest, Touchton had been in the custody of the sheriff’s office leading to his recent trial.

Touchton was found guilty of six counts of capital sexual battery on a child under 12 and two counts of domestic battery by strangulation.

On Thursday, Judge Richard Howard sentenced Touchton to serve six consecutive life sentences for the sexual battery charges and two consecutive five-year sentences for domestic battery.

Florida law requires a life sentence for those who’ve sexually battered a child younger than 12.

On Friday, Prendergast said "justice has been served" following the conviction.

The sheriff also praised special victims’ unit detectives and officials with the child protection team at the child advocacy center Jessie’s Place for their contributions to the case.

"Touchton will spend the rest of his life in prison and will never be able to abuse another child. While this can never undo the harm done to [the victims], I hope they will find solace in knowing Touchton will spend the rest of his life in prison," the sheriff said in a statement.