Thomas Kirk Gaton will be spending the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty of aggravated rape of a victim under the age of 13 years old.

Recently, after a two-day trial in the courthouse in Abbeville, a jury deliberated and then came back with a guilty plea.

Gaton was called to the stand to testify as was the young victim.

Ted Ayo was the state prosecuting attorney, and Gaton’s attorney was Amanada Martin.

Judge Durwood Conque presided over the case.

In other court hearings recently at the courthouse:

• Larry Schexnider Jr. pled no contest to the amended charge of simple burglary, which is a felony. He was sentenced to three years of hard labor with credit for time served.

• Donald Melancon pled guilty to theft under $500 and was sentenced to two years at hard labor.

• Lawrence Henderson III pled no contest to the amended charge of third offense domestic abuse battery, which is a felony He was first charged with his fifth offense Domestic Abuse Battery, but pled down before the trial.

He was sentenced to five years at hard labor, however, four out of the five years were suspended. He will have to serve one year in prison and will be on supervised probation for two years.

Henderson was ordered not to have any contact with the victim.

• Juna Rodriguez Garcia pled no contest to the charge of operating a vehicle without lawful presence in the United States. He was sentenced to six months in the parish prison.

• Roger David Goodwin pled no contest to the charge of his third DWI. He received a sentence of one-year in prison and must pay a $2,000 fine, plus court cost of $560.

• Shawn Romero pled no contest to a third offense of possession of marijuana and received a two year probation sentence. He will have to pay a $500 fine, $460 court cost and $1,346 restitution fine to a business.

• Justin Lee Harris pled no contest to cruelty to a juvenile and received a five-year suspended sentence and two years of probation. He can have no contact with the victim.

• Robert Shane Paul pled no contest to the amended charge of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. He was first charged with forcible rape.

Paul received a five-year suspended sentence and put on two years of supervised probation. He can also have no contact with the victim.

• Coby Hebert pled no contest to indecent behavior with a juvenile and will have to spend two years in prison. He received a seven-year sentence, but five out of the seven years were suspended. He can have no contact with the victim and for the next 15 years, he has to register as a sex offender.