COEUR d’ALENE — A Kootenai County man convicted of sexually abusing a teen will spend up to a decade behind bars.

A jury convicted 78-year-old Patrick J. Pfister in March of two counts of lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16 and two counts of sexual battery of a minor child 16 or 17 years of age, all felonies. The crimes are punishable by a maximum of life in prison.

District Judge Barbara Duggan sentenced Pfister on Oct. 21 to 10 years in prison, with two years fixed.

That means Pfister will be eligible for parole when he is 80 years old.

Prosecuting Attorney Stanley Mortensen thanked the teen victim who reported the abuse, as well as the Post Falls police who investigated.

“The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office supports victims of crime, particularly children who have been abused by the hands of a trusted adult,” Mortensen said Thursday in a news release. “This type of conduct is among the worst in society and we appreciate all those who work to protect children.”