COEUR d'ALENE - A 34-year-old Post Falls man was sentenced Friday to serve up to 20 years in state prison for lewd conduct with a minor under the age of sixteen.

William C. Valentine was sentenced by 1st District Court Judge Benjamin Simpson, who ordered that the first eight years of the sentence would be fixed and the remaining 12 years would be indeterminate, with credit for time served, according to the Kootenai County prosecutor's office.

He pleaded guilty to the abuse of a 6-year-old girl for several months, the prosecutor's office said in a news release.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said the sentence was appropriate given the long-term nature of the sex abuse, the lack of accountability by Valentine, and the continuing risk of predatory conduct.

"The fixed term guarantees that Mr. Valentine will not be able to victimize other children or commit other violent offenses for eight years, and then he will be evaluated by the Department of Correction to determine whether he should spend the rest of his term in prison," McHugh said.