It’s 14 years for an Elkhart man caught in a sexual relationship with a teenage girl.

30-year-old John Perez was accused of raping a 14-year-old in February of 2024 when the victim went to a hospital for a sexual assault evaluation and said Perez had forced himself on her.

The girl later told police that she and Perez had been in an active sexual relationship, stating that Perez had asked her to lie about her age and to tell police that he did not know her age.

The Goshen News says during his sentencing hearing, Perez had his sentenced decreased by almost 30 years due to pleading guilty. He was sentenced on two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor to seven years at the Indiana Department of Corrections.