An Alabama man convicted of abusing five underage girls sexually was sentenced to more than 600 years in prison on Wednesday.
Houston County Circuit Judge Todd Derrick placed a 615-year sentence on Raven Smith after hearing a plea from the mother of one of the girls.
“I can’t believe what I said meant that much to a judge to punish this man the way I wanted him to be (punished),” the unidentified mother told WTVY-TV.
Smith, aged 35, openly admitted to the sex crimes against the girls — all under the age of 16 — and apologized to them in court. He was charged with multiple counts of sodomy, sexual abuse, and rape.
District Attorney J.T. Jones almost teared up while describing Smith’s crimes to the judge.
“When you deal with cases that involve children, particularly young children, it’s going to hit your heartstrings every time,” Jones said. “You get to know them [the victims] and you feel the pain they go through.”
The mother who made the powerful plea said that she strongly believes that there are other victims of Smith who are too afraid to come forward.
“I don’t want them to be afraid anymore,” she said. “I want them to know he’s in jail and can’t ever hurt them or anyone else.”