PENSACOLA, Fla. – A Florida judge has made sure one man will be spending the rest of his life behind bars, and then some, 11 Alive reports.
Charles Hoyt McConnell III, 22, of Pensacola was given three consecutive life sentences and an additional five centuries in prison after he was convicted of repeatedly raping a 3-year-old boy in his care and documenting the abuse.
On Tuesday, McConnel was found guilty on 36 counts of child sex-related charges, including capital sexual battery and obscene material possession. Afterward Judge John Miller of First Judicial Circuit Court handed down a sentence of three consecutive life terms plus 495 years in prison.
Escambia detectives say McConnell filmed and photographed the sexual abuse of a toddler in his care over a two-month period. His wife checked his phone in January 2016 and found the photos of the boy and her husband along with communications about the images. When brought in for questioning, detective say McConnell immediately confessed to raping the child repeatedly.
Two other men, Danny Ray Murphy and Jonah Authement, were arrested in connection with the crimes and are currently serving prison sentences, 11 Alive reports.
Detectives say McConnell had also downloaded child pornography images and videos of other children, but he said the toddler was the only child he had ever sexually assaulted.
McConnell is expected to spend his life behind bars unless the sentence is overturned on appeal.