Man to prison who sexually abused girl starting when she was 9

March 31--A Scranton man who insisted to interrogating police that he would never harm a child received a state prison sentence of 10-20 years Friday for raping a girl for several years starting when she was 9.

If he completes that portion of the sentence, Byron Webb Sr., 77, must also complete 17 years of probation, Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse ordered.

The judge also ruled the man a sexually violent predator, meaning when he is released, he must follow the most stringent rules for sexual offender reporting to state police -- four times per year.

He had previously pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and indecent assault of a person less than 13, both felonies.

Before his arrest last year, Webb swore "on his mother's grave" during a police interview at the Scranton Police Department that he would never harm a child.

A cellphone video showed otherwise, police wrote in their report.

Webb, 418 Finn St., Scranton, raped the girl for three years, beginning when she was 9 years old, police said.

The Times-Tribune does not identify the victims of sexual assault.

The girl's family found the abuse on her cellphone and reported it to police.

The attacks, police said, took place from 2012 until 2016. The girl estimated about 200 sexual encounters in that time. They included groping, oral sex and intercourse.

Webb gave the girl a dog and other presents in exchange for not reporting the abuse, police said.

Contact the writer: pcameron@timesshamrock.com, @pcameronTT on Twitter

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