VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) – A northwestern Indiana man has been sentenced to 54 years in prison for molesting three young sisters over several years.

Todd Lange of Porter Township initially was charged with seven Class A felony counts of child molesting. He was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to three lesser counts of Class B felony child molesting in an agreement with prosecutors.

The (Munster) Times (http://bit.ly/1De2WMJ ) reports Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek said Lange began abusing the first victim when she was 9, the second when she was 5 and the third when she was 3.

She said the abuse came to light when the youngest victim was about to turn 11, the age when Lange increased the level of abuse to intercourse.

Lange declined to comment to the newspaper.