JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 71-year-old former deacon at the Woodlawn Christian Church and a retired carpenter has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Tuesday in Jefferson County court to one count predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

Charles E. Sanders pleaded guilty to one count of a three-count indictment charging him with Class X predatory criminal sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. Sanders pleaded guilty to one count in exchange for the other two being dismissed.

According to Jefferson County State’s Attorney Sean Featherstun, because Sanders was convicted of a Class X offense, he will have to serve at least 85 percent of his 30-year sentence. Featherstun acknowledged the sentence essentially equals a life sentence for the Woodlawn man who will turn 72 in June.

The case had trudged through the court process for more than three years, with Sanders waiving trial by a jury last month and agreeing to have the case heard Tuesday a judge. But before the bench trial started, Sanders pleaded guilty.

Featherstun said the days are over in Jefferson County where criminal cases are continued for years without resolution while the defendant is free on bond. He said his office will be breaking that habit and noted he is proud of his staff for finally bringing the Sanders case to a close.

According to Featherstun, the Sanders case was not a difficult case to prove and had plenty of evidence and witness testimony to prove the prosecution’s case.

The indictment charged that between 2002 and 2003, Sanders committed acts of sexual penetration on a young girl and that between 2010 and 2012, he committed the same or similar acts on at least one different young girl under the age of 13.

Sanders was taken directly from the courthouse to the Jefferson County jail where he will remain awaiting transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections.