A federal judge in North Dakota sentenced a Huntsville man Monday to life in prison for abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12.

U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Whitehorse Ducharme, also known as Stanley Ducharme, 51, of Huntsville, received the sentence from Chief Judge Peter D. Welte in U.S. District Court in Fargo, N.D.

Ducharme, who formerly lived in Belcourt, N.D., pleaded guilty on Nov. 1, 2021.

Prosecutors cited an F.B.I. investigation that found Ducharme engaged in sexual abuse of a Native American child from about 2008 until about 2016.

Investigators said the abuse began when the child was three.

“The court reasonably sentenced this individual to life in prison based upon the facts, and that sentence ensures he will never abuse another child,” Schneider said in a statement.

“This result is a testament to the courage of those who stepped forward to put an end to this abuse. It is also a credit to the professionalism of our law enforcement partners and career prosecutors who helped obtain a measure of justice in this case.”