photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Robert W. Copas

A judge on Tuesday sentenced a Lawrence man to 77 months, or close to 6 1/2 years, for molesting an 11-year-old girl.

Robert W. Copas, 37, was charged in July 2017 with aggravated indecent liberties with a child. In March, he pleaded no contest to the same charge but as a less severe felony, the Journal-World has reported.

Copas has been set for sentencing for several months, but multiple complications drew out the hearing.

Copas’ appointed defense attorney, Branden Smith, told the judge that he and prosecutor Alice Walker had worked hard on negotiations that settled this case as well as a traffic case from 2015. They had agreed to recommend that Copas receive the aggravated sentence of 77 months, and the agreement will also factor into another case that is still pending.

The victim told relatives about the molestation and Lawrence police interviewed her the same day, the Journal-World has reported.

The girl said that Copas had touched her inappropriately outside her clothes, continuing after she told him to stop, according to the police affidavit supporting his arrest. She told police that afterward Copas told her “Please don’t tell, I’m so sorry,” but that she did tell because it was “the right thing” to do.

According to the affidavit, Copas had confessed to police that he had touched the girl inappropriately and then apologized to her.

The victim was not present at the hearing, but her mother was. The girl’s mother said that Copas needs to “count his lucky stars,” because if she’d had her way, he would’ve been sentenced to life, which could have been a possible sentence before the plea agreement. She said the girl would never be the same and that he’d taken away her happiness and her innocence and turned her life upside down.

Chief Judge James McCabria agreed to follow the recommendations of the plea. He said he would hold his comments until Copas returns for a plea hearing and sentencing in a pending 2019 domestic case.

Copas will receive credit for 539 days served, or nearly a year and a half, and he’s eligible for up to 15% good time credit. McCabria agreed to waive court costs and fees.