KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – A Knoxville man could face up to 80 years in prison after he was convicted of raping a child.

Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen announced that Steven Lee McAbee, 42, was convicted of two counts of Rape of a Child after a three-day trial.

The victim was seven and eight years old at the time of the abuse. McAbee would occasionally babysit the victim, according to a release from Allen’s office.

The victim disclosed the abuse when she was eight years old.

Rape of a Child is a Class A felony that carries a punishment of 25 to 40 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors will ask that the sentences for each count run consecutively.

McAbee will be sentenced on Friday, June 9.

“This victim, who is still a child, showed great courage coming forward to testify,” Allen said. “Due to the verdict in this case, this perpetrator will not be able to harm another
child.”