By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – A Marshfield man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for molesting a young girl several times.

Gary Kern, 32, was caught in the act by the girl’s mother in Nov. 2017. Court records say the mother slapped Kern to get him off the girl, then immediately took her to the hospital. When interviewed, the girl admitted that it wasn’t the first time that Kern had abused her in that way, and that he told her if she told anyone about the contact he would spank her with a belt.

Kern pleaded no contest to the first-degree sexual assault charge in April.

As part of the sentence, Kern will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will serve eight years of probation.

Charges of incest and child enticement were dismissed.