NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man was convicted in Norfolk of child sexual abuse of a girl that was in his care for 10 years, a release states.

Lawrence “Trey” White III, 37, was sentenced Nov. 15 to serve 25 years in prison for seven counts of various felony child sexual abuse offenses that he committed against a child entrusted to his care between 2008 and 2018.

The victim was 7-years-old when she moved in with White because the victim’s mother wanted her to grow up in a better neighborhood.

However, White groomed the child, touched her inappropriately and made her shower with him, reports state. White’s abuse of the victim elevated to include rape attempts, oral sodomy, nude photography, etc. White would sometimes incentivize the victim by writing her letters, giving her money and promising to buy her presents, according to a release.

White’s abuse continued until the victim was 17-years-old and she was able to seek help.

In early 2023, after she learned that White was living with a girlfriend who had a young daughter, the victim contacted the police in her new city of residence to report the sexual abuse she had suffered as a child.

Norfolk Police Special Crimes Unit detectives interviewed the victim, White’s then-girlfriend, and White, who admitted to a minimized version of his wrongdoing. After securing warrants for his arrest, Norfolk detectives took White into custody, and Child Protective Services put in place a safety plan to ensure the other young girl was not also a victim of abuse by White.

On March 27, White entered an agreement to plead guilty to the object sexual penetration of a victim under 13-years-old, the forcible sodomy of a victim under 13-years-old, attempting to rape a victim under 13-years-old, three counts of the aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13-years-old and taking indecent liberties with a child as their custodian.

On Friday, Judge Lindsey sentenced White to serve 25 years in prison and suspended another 65 years on the conditions that White comply with supervised probation and be of uniform good behavior for 20 years following his release.

“Serious offenses merit serious penalties, and Mr. White’s crimes against the survivor in this case leave him with a deep debt to repay to society,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Cases like these are the ones on which we focus and on which we will always seek accountability. I am grateful to the survivor of Mr. White’s crimes for coming forward to protect others from this harm.”