NEW YORK, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- A New York man convicted of repeatedly raping his girlfriend's 11-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 72 years in prison.
Investigators discovered the rapes committed by Gerald Hatcher, 47, of Brooklyn, after he impregnated the girl and tried to arrange an appointment at an abortion clinic, the New York Daily News reported.
Investigators, who received a tip from an anonymous caller, matched the DNA of the aborted fetus, proving Hatcher was the father.
Hatcher was found guilty in the summer of sexually abusing the girl three years ago, entering her room four different times while her mother was at work and raping her, prosecutors said.
The girl testified against Hatcher in Brooklyn Supreme Court, and a jury rejected his testimony denying any crimes.
"He has not accepted responsibility and has denied his involvement since the beginning despite clear DNA evidence," Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Doerfler wrote in a pre-sentencing letter.
"His actions violated the trust and the love that a child has for a parent and he forever changed [her]," Doerfler wrote. "She felt relief after she testified and expressed a hope that she can now try to move on with her life."
