Riverside man sentenced to life in prison for assaulting girl, 8

A Riverside man has been sentenced to life in prison for molesting an 8-year-old girl.

Fentress Maurice Wilson, 50, had previously sexually assaulted three other girls. The attacks involving the 8-year-old occurred between August 2010 and November 2011, said Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd.

“The eight-year-old victim in this case showed unbelievable courage by telling the jury what the defendant did to her,” Zahnd said in a statement.

Wilson was found guilty in June of first-degree statutory sodomy following a criminal trial held in two phases.

In the first phase, prosecutors secured a guilty verdict from the jury. In the sentencing phase, prosecutors presented testimony that Wilson had an extensive history of committing sex crimes against children.

A little-used provision of Missouri law mandates a life sentence for predatory sexual offenders, Zahnd said.

This story was originally published September 9, 2014 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Riverside man sentenced to life in prison for assaulting girl, 8."