Marion County, Ohio (WOWO)  — Michael Stith, 51, of Prospect, Ohio, has received the maximum sentence after pleading no contest to charges of sexually abusing four children over nearly three decades.

According to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Stith’s offenses occurred between 1997 and 2013, including incidents when the victims were under the age of 13. Three charges relate to abuse in 1997 and 1998, and two charges to incidents in 2013 according to NBC-4 Columbus.

The victims, now adults, provided testimony in court describing the abuse they suffered. Prosecutors described the case as one of the most severe they have prosecuted.

The Marion County judge highlighted that Stith exploited his role as a youth leader at a local church to gain the trust of juveniles and their families, enabling the crimes. The judge also noted the possibility that more victims may exist.

Stith was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole only after 50 years, which would make him eligible at age 101.