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Todd James Gilbert, now 22, told Judge Dennis Reinaker that he — the judge — didn't know all the facts of the case.
"You were 19 and she was 12," Reinaker said, " … and that's about as despicable a crime as I can think of."
Gilbert said he didn't know the girl's age when he met her in February 2007 at a Lancaster Township shopping center.
He was arrested a few months later by city police Detective Jimmy Mummau and charged with the rape of a child, sexual assault and corruption of minors.
Last May, Gilbert was charged with two counts of intimidating a witness after police said he tried to convince the victim not to testify against him.
In August, Gilbert pleaded guilty to all the charges in exchange for a total prison sentence of eight to 20 years in state prison.
"Don't you want to say anything to the victim or her family?" Reinaker asked Gilbert before imposing sentence.
"No, I'm ready to move on," Gilbert replied.
Defense attorneys Roger Renteria and Jeffery Wallitsch negotiated the length of the prison term with Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield.
Mansfield told Reinaker the victim and her family were in agreement with the proposed sentence.
Reinaker said had there not been an agreement reached in return for the guilty plea, "eight years wouldn't be the amount of time you would be serving."
More than a dozen of Gilbert's family members and friends filled the spectator section of the courtroom during the brief proceeding.
Gilbert's mother described her son as "a great man, a good person … who is kind and gentle and has a lot of faith in the Lord."
Although a psychological evaluation did not conclude that Gilbert is a sexually violent predator, Reinaker ordered him to comply with the Megan's Law sex offender conditions when he is released from prison.
Among those conditions, Gilbert must register his address and employment with state police.
In addition to the state prison sentence, Gilbert was ordered to pay $2,153 restitution, $100 in fines and court costs, including the cost of a DNA test.
Reinaker ordered Gilbert to have no contact with the girl or her family.
