A local man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison Friday for sex crimes against a 9-year-old child.

Circuit Judge Ashley McKathan sentenced Lyndon Fitzgerald Johnson following his April conviction for second-degree kidnapping, first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse of a child.

Reports show the crimes occurred in 2006, and a jury convicted Johnson after hearing the child’s testimony of the events.

On Friday, McKathan heard arguments from Johnson’s defense attorney, David Harrison, and Supernumerary District Attorney Eugenia Loggins before sentencing Johnson to 18 years imprisonment each for the kidnapping and sodomy convictions and to 10 years imprisonment for the sexual abuse conviction. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

District Attorney Walt Merrell said he was pleased with the outcome of the case.

“When it takes a case almost five years to come to trial, victims and their families often just want to give up on finding justice,” Merrell said. “I wish I had an answer as to why this took so long, but I can only speak to things in the current administration. I’m very pleased with the verdict and want to thank the jurors and Judge McKathan as this was not an easy case to be involved in from any standpoint.”