A Perry County man pleaded guilty to a charge of first degree sex abuse and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Kelvin Woods, 19, was accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy last year. He was 18 when the crime was committed.

Woods and four other individuals grabbed the boy and forced him to perform oral sex on Woods, According to assistant district attorney Shannon Lynch.

The boy was unable to identify the other four attackers, Lynch said, but she said he did pick out Woods in a police lineup.

“(They) grabbed the kid from behind,” Lynch said, explaining why he couldn’t identify them.

Lynch said the attack occurred when the child was visiting a friend at a Marion apartment complex.

Lynch said she was content with the sentence, but would have like to had a longer one.

She said that for her the main focus was to protect the victim and see to it that justice was served.

“This kid was terrified and embarrassed,” she said. “Three years in (the victim’s) mind was enough justice to where people would believe him that it was a crime.”

Lynch said she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the boy’s interests in the case.

“I greatly respect (District Attorney) Michael Jackson for allowing the District Attorney’s office to crack down on violence against women and children in every form,” she said.

Jackson said the drive would continue.

“People need to realize the punishment will be severe to those who try to destroy an innocent life,” she said.

Ultimately, Lynch said, all sex abuse cases are about protecting the victim.

“I just want him to go back to being a normal little boy again,” she said, ” and play with his video games.”

Lynch did say the case ended happily for her at least, with the conviction and helping the victim.

“That was the perfect day,” she said. “I finally made him smile.”