COEUR d’ALENE — A man will spend time in prison after pleading guilty to molesting a child.

Brent D. Zastrow, 37, of Hayden, pleaded guilty in accordance with Alford to sexual abuse of a child under 16 years old, a felony punishable by a maximum of 25 years in prison.

By entering an Alford plea, Zastrow did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him at trial.

First District Judge Lamont Berecz sentenced Zastrow on Monday to 10 years in prison, with two and a half years fixed and the remaining time indeterminate.

That means Zastrow will be eligible for parole in about two and a half years.

The charges stem from November 2020, when a 12-year-old girl disclosed that Zastrow had molested her.

She described to police four instances in which Zastrow touched her privates.

When contacted by police, Zastrow reportedly characterized the abuse as “tickling” and said he might have accidentally touched the girl inappropriately.

He said he didn’t recall touching the girl as she described but added that he didn’t think she was lying.

He then told police about a specific instance when he touched the girl’s privates, according to court records.

Police arrested Zastrow and charged him with lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16, a felony punishable by up to life in prison.

He later posted $50,000 bail.

Zastrow pleaded guilty to the amended charge of sexual abuse as part of a pretrial settlement offer.

In a letter read aloud to the court, the girl spoke of how Zastrow’s abuse has affected her.

“Every morning when I wake up, I have to live with what you did,” she said.

She experiences severe anxiety, she said. She can’t be alone with any man without fear that he’ll hurt her.

When Zastrow initially pleaded not guilty, the girl said she worried that she was wrong to come forward about the abuse.

“It made me feel I had ruined many lives,” she said.

But she understands now that Zastrow is the one who shattered the lives of the many people affected by the case, she said.

The girl said she didn’t care what form of punishment Zastrow received.

“I only care about what is best for my family and my safety,” she said.

Numerous community members wrote letters to Judge Berecz in support of Zastrow prior to his sentencing — some of whom reportedly did not know what charge he had pleaded guilty to.

Prosecuting attorney Rebecca Perez said this case illustrates the insidious nature of sexual abuse. It occurs in secret, hidden from coworkers, friends and family.

Zastrow, who formerly owned and operated Total Wellness Dentistry in Hayden, held a position of trust within his community, Perez said.

“That’s what makes Mr. Zastrow so scary,” she said.

Zastrow wept when he addressed the court. He acknowledged the trauma he inflicted on the girl.

“There’s no way to fix and repair what happened,” he said. “There can only be hope for a continued path of healing for (the victim and her family).”

Judge Berecz called the case “tragic” before handing down the sentence, which he said he believes strikes a balance between the seriousness of the crime and the hope for rehabilitation.

Upon his release from prison, Zastrow must register as a sex offender.