AUBURN - A 19-year-old Genoa resident who admitted to the statutory rape of an underage girl over the course of six years was sentenced in Cayuga County Court Tuesday to time already served in jail with 10 years of probation.

Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said Nathan Hale, of 1066 Maple Street, began to rape the 9-year-old girl when he was 13 years old.

Hale was eventually arrested by the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and charged with second-degree rape on July 21 after an anonymous source contacted Child Protective Services through a child abuse hot line.

In addition to the six months already served in jail and probation, Jonis Strods, Hale's attorney, requested that Cayuga County Judge Mark Fandrich treat Hale as a youthful offender given his client's age, and to seal his record.

Budelmann said he opposed treating Hale as a youthful offender because Hale would not have to register as a sex offender. Budelmann also said Hale minimized his conduct in a pre-sentence report when he said the victim consented to the sex.

When he was given a chance to address the court, Hale asked for leniency and apologized for his actions.

"I would take it back if I could," Hale said. "I won't hurt anyone no more, I won't do nothing else."

Fandrich denied the youthful offender request citing the nature of the case and set a sex offender registration hearing for April 3.

"I have no doubt that you need help and it bothers me, and I understand why it was said, that you said this behavior was consented to by the victim," Fandrich said. "The victim is four years younger than you, and it is absolutely disgusting that this went on for six years."