A Fort Dodge man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to charges in connection to a sexual abuse case from last year.

Benjamin Vazquez Jr., 24, of Fort Dodge, pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse, willful injury causing bodily injury and two counts of child endangerment.

Vazquez admitted that, on Oct. 17, 2015, he committed sexual abuse on a woman in Fort Dodge.

He also admitted that he physically assaulted the woman, causing bruising all over her body.

Vazquez also said that during the assaults, the victim’s children were left unattended, “which created a substantial risk to their physical health and safety,” according to First Assistant Webster County Attorney Ryan Baldridge.

At Vazquez’s sentencing, Chief Judge Kurt Wilke, of the 2nd Judicial District, sentenced the defendant to the maximum possible sentence on each charge for a total of 15 years in prison.

The four-year sentence on the child endangerment convictions will run concurrent to the other convictions.

Baldridge added that a conviction for third-degree sexual abuse carries a special sentence which means Vazquez will be on parole for the rest of his life, as well as having to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

“The Webster County Attorney’s Office will continue to do all we can to prosecute those who commit sexually violent crimes and also support victims of these offenses,” Baldridge said in a written statement. “However, we would be unable to do so without the efforts of our partners in law enforcement, victim advocacy, and other assisting agencies.”