A Warren man has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for sex crimes committed against a girl that authorities say began when she was six years old.

Chris Fox, 31, of Roberts Avenue NW, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to five rape counts.

Judge Ronald J. Rice labeled Fox a Tier 3 sexual offender which means he would have to register four times per year for life with the local sheriff's office if he is ever released. Fox would be eligible for parole after he served 15 years in prison.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber, who heads the prosecutor's office Child Assault Unit, the sexual offenses began in 2017 at several Warren addresses and continued through 2022, when the child was 11 years old.

Barber said Fox first denied knowing the girl, trying to blame his brother for the attacks. Fox's fiancé later admitted that she and the defendant had raised the girl for six years.

Fox told police that his thumb accidentally slipped into the girl's private parts, according to Barber who said "This was no accident, and hopefully Fox will spend the rest of his life in prison."