A Danville man has been sentenced to more than 180 years in prison after “repeatedly” assaulting a 5-year-old child.
The Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office reported on Monday that Ryan McLaughlin was sentenced to 184.5 years after a jury found him guilty of the following:
- Three counts of Child Molesting (Level 1 Felony)
- One count of Child Molesting (Level 4 Felony)
- One count of Providing Obscene Matter to a Minor (Level 6 Felony)
- One count of Misstatement While Registering as a Sex Offender (Level 6 Felony)
Hendricks County Prosecutor Loren Delp confirmed that McLaughlin earned additional sentences for being a repeat sexual offender and a habitual offender, citing proof of McLaughlin’s serial sexual assault of a child.
McLaughlin also showed the victim sexually graphic material and “instructed her to imitate the conduct depicted,” according to Delp. He reportedly threatened to kill the victim’s mother if she revealed that he was sexually abusing her.
The jury discovered that McLaughlin lied to authorities when he claimed to have moved into the child’s house and that no underage minors lived there.
The court considered many aggravating elements when determining his punishment. These included McLaughlin’s previous criminal charges, his exploitation of the victim’s confidence, the “substantial emotional harm inflicted upon the victim,” and his threat to kill the child’s mother.
“Repeat sexual offenders who prey upon children are among the most dangerous criminals in our society,” Delp stated. “McLaughlin had already been convicted of a sex crime, yet he acquired access to another vulnerable kid and repeatedly assaulted her. This punishment guarantees that he will never have the opportunity to hurt another kid.”
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