Mar 3, 2022 2 min read

A Centerville man who pleaded guilty to child rape last year will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after he was sentenced on the state charge Wednesday in Washington County Court.

Calling it one of the most heinous acts imaginable, Judge Gary Gilman sentenced Sean Houston to serve 20 to 40 years in state prison, which will be followed by a lengthy federal prison sentence that he already received on federal charges related to the child abuse.

“It is hard to imagine a crime that is described as more abhorrent,” Gilman told Houston before handing down the maximum sentence.

Houston, 49, was accused of abusing the young girl on multiple occasions, and he pleaded guilty Dec. 3 in Washington County Court to one felony charge of child rape. Houston has been held in the Washington County jail since his arrest in October 2018.

The victim spoke before his sentencing and explained to Gilman how the abuse has affected her and how she continues to struggle years later.

Houston, who appeared through video conferencing from the jail, apologized for his actions during a brief statement, but Gilman said the abuse of a child was such a significant crime that he felt the maximum sentence was warranted.

Houston also pleaded guilty in June to multiple federal charges related to the case and was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison. That sentence will begin after Houston completes his state prison sentence, making it unlikely he will ever be freed from incarceration.