COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A 47-year-old Columbus man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of seven counts of rape that spanned multiple years.

Rico Hardy received a prison sentence of 30 years to life by a Franklin County common pleas court judge on Sept. 29. Hardy was accused of raping a girl over a four-year period after the victim, at the age of 12, told her mother in November 2020 that Hardy had raped her since she was eight.

According to court records, the first offense date listed for Hardy was 2016 with two 2020 dates listed as well totaling seven counts. After being tried in August, Hardy was found guilty on all seven counts of rape.