A Hillsboro man originally charged with two counts of the rape of a child pled guilty Thursday to the rape of a child under 13 and gross sexual imposition and was sentenced in Highland County Common Pleas Court.

Dontay Lamar Burns, 29, was sentenced by Judge Rocky Coss to 10 years to life on the first-degree felony rape charge and 48 months on the third-degree felony sexual imposition charge, with sentences to run consecutively. He is eligible for parole in 14 years, said Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins.

Burns will also be a Tier II registered sex offender on the rape conviction and a Tier III registered sex offender on the sexual imposition charge, according to court documents.

An affidavit filed with the Hillsboro Municipal Court on May 16 stated that the victim’s mother reported to the Highland County Sheriff’s Office in April that her 12-year-old daughter alleged Burns had sexually abused her over a period of time.

The document stated that the child was later interviewed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where the alleged victim described the details of the abuse.

Burns agreed to give a DNA sample and submitted to a polygraph test with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, according to the affidavit.

The document described a call from the trooper handling the May 13 polygraph, with the officer saying that Burns’ test “showed deception” and that later in an interview he “confessed to the sex abuse.” Burns was arrested that same day. He was indicted by the Highland County Grand Jury during its June session.

According to an affidavit, seminal fluid was discovered by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) on the victim’s bed comforter, but at the time the report was prepared the agency had no DNA with which to compare it.

Burns was represented by attorney Lee Koogler.