A 60-year-old Richland man was ordered to serve a full fouryears in prison Thursday after being accused of having sex with aminor.

After earlier pleading guilty to touching, handling or feeling achild for lustful purposes and contributing to the delinquency of aminor, Henry Parks, 60, of 613 Industrial Dr., Richland, wassentenced to a total of nine years in prison by Judge KeithStarrett. Parks was to serve every day of the first four years,with the remaining five on post release supervision.

Parks had been indicted on a charge of sexual battery, but thatwas reduced to child fondling under a plea agreement. The man wasalso ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, $500 to the Crime VictimsCompensation Fund and to register as a sex offender when he isreleased from prison.

Starrett said Parks had managed to live a decent life aftergetting into some trouble in the 1960s.

“I hope that you are able to do that again when you come back,”Starrett told Parks.

According to the indictment, Parks was alleged to have had sexwith a girl under age 16 on or between Nov. 1, 2001, and Aug. 8,2002. Count two of the indictment charged that Parks was the driverof a vehicle while the girl had sex with her boyfriend in the backseat in May 2002.

In other court action Thursday, Byron Brown, 47, of 124Montgomery Road, Summit, pleaded guilty to possession of stolenproperty. The charge was in connection with an alleged schemeinvolving trading property for drugs.

Brown was ordered to serve the first two years of a four-yearsentence, with the remainder to be served on three years of postrelease supervision. His jail time will run concurrent with twoyears of a 10-year sentence in another case.

The defendant was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, fullrestitution and to obtain alcohol and drug treatment whileincarcerated. Starrett was hopeful the treatment would help Brownwith a drug problem.

“Sometimes, you have to get locked up to get free,” Starretttold Brown. “I hope that is the result of your incarceration.”