A Fort Dodge man has been found guilty of ongoing sexual abuse of a child.

Christian L. Tate, 33, was convicted Thursday afternoon by a Webster County jury of continuous sexual abuse of a child. The trial began on Tuesday in Webster County District Court.

“On behalf of myself and the Webster County Attorney’s Office, I’m extremely satisfied with the outcome,” said Assistant County Attorney Bailey Cavanaugh. “This is the first time this offense has been tried by our office and the outcome assures justice for the victim. Thank you to law enforcement for working diligently on this matter.”

According to Cavanaugh, continuous sexual abuse is a recently enacted Iowa statute that allows for the prosecution of an individual who commits three or more acts of sexual abuse against a child within a 30 day period. It is a Class B felony and carries a higher sentence of 50 years in prison and a 70% mandatory minimum, compared to sexual abuse in the second degree with a 25-year sentence and a 70% mandatory minimum.

It also allows for the victim to testify to the full history of the abuse without having to prove separate dates or date ranges with each charge.

Tate will be sentenced at an upcoming date.