NEWTON COUNTY – A Newton County court has handed down a life sentence for a man convicted of sexual assault.

Kenny Durham was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday on charges of rape, incest, two counts of child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes.

According to a press release from the Newton County District Attorney’s Office, the victim of Durham disclosed to a close friend that she had been sexually assaulted by him. After the victim told her mother, she was taken to a local hospital and local law enforcement were made aware, leading to Durham’s eventual arrest.

The press release also stated that it took less than an hour before the guilty verdict was handed down on all counts.

Durham was given a life sentence plus 55 years.

The case was handled by senior assistant district attorney Jodi Spiegel, investigator Josh Shumate, victim advocate Ellen Bates and legal assistant Cami Odom.

Newton County District Attorney Randy McGinley commended the victim in this case for her courage to speak out.

“The bravery of the victim, her family, and her friends along with the hard work of law enforcement and the prosecution team led to the defendant being held accountable for the serious crimes he committed,” McGinley said via a press release.