Michael Bruce Thompson, 52, pleaded guilty in Macon County Superior Court to attempted first-degree statutory sex offense and taking indecent liberties with a child.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bill Coward ordered Thompson serve a minimum sentence of 108 months up to a maximum sentence of 190 months in the N.C. Department of Corrections. 

Additionally, Thompson will be listed for 30 years on the publicly available and searchable North Carolina sex-offender registry.

Welch said Thompson molested a child between Nov. 1, 2018, and May 13, 2019. A separate incident took place on May 15, 2019.

Assistant District Attorney Jason Arnold prosecuted the case.