Staff Writer

A Jonesville man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday after a jury convicted him of molesting a child.

Harold Dean Briggs, 43, of 107 Academy St. was found guilty of two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Circuit Judge Lee Alford gave Briggs 15 years on each of the counts, but said the sentences will run concurrently. Alford also ordered Briggs to register as a sex offender.

Briggs was arrested by the Union County Sheriff's Office on July 12, 2006.

A report said the victim came to the sheriff's patrol office and asked to speak to a deputy in private.

The victim then said she wanted a lie detector test. When asked why she said Briggs had been molesting her for the past five years.

Briggs was charged after an investigation involving Lt. Al Black and the Department of Social Services. It was determined that Briggs had molested the victim from October 2001 until July of 2005.

When confronted by authorities, Briggs admitted to molesting the girl. In court, he recanted his confession.

Deputy Solicitor John Anthony said he thought the jury returned a guilty verdict in the case because they found Black and Shannon Barnes - a caseworker with DSS involved in the investigation - to be credible witnesses.

“They were the two who testified about the confession, which is something he disputed at the trial,” he said.

Briggs initially was charged with one count of criminal sexual conduct with a minor, but during the time period the child was molested she turned 14 years old.

“The law is different for victims 11 to 14 and victims 14 and over,” Anthony said.

Briggs' trial started Tuesday. The jury deliberated about 90 minutes before reaching a verdict.

Clerk of Court Brad Morris said the jury came out once during the deliberations with a list of five hand-written questions for Alford. They wanted to know if the victim in the case had received counseling and with whom she now was living.

Alford wrote back that their questions could not be answered, that the record could not be added to after the close of testimony.