A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term by a county judge after previously admitting he sexually assaulted an extremely mentally disabled woman.

Eduardo Vayas Jr., 53, of Lehighton, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve 12 to 36 months in a state correctional institution on a charge of indecent assault on a person with mental disabilities. A charge of aggravated indecent assault on a person with mental disabilities was dropped in a plea bargain.Vayas was also determined by the state sexual offenders assessment board to be a sexual violent predator, meaning he must register for life as a sexual offender under the provisions of Megan's Law.Vayas was charged by Lehighton police for an incident that occurred on Dec. 17, 2013, at a residence in the borough.At the time of the plea hearing defense attorney Gregory Lee Mousseau, of the public defender's office, said his client has mental health issues and is currently on medication for it.The mother of the woman, who was 23 at the time, told police of the assault.She said that while she was not at home, Vayas touched the girl inappropriately.She told Serfass that since the incident the girl has gone into a deep depression. She is extremely scared and fearful and won't leave their home, the mother told the court.In addition to the jail term, Serfass ordered Vayas to undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample, undergo a sexual offenders evaluation, make restitution of $250 for expenses incurred by the victim's family, pay court costs, which average about $1,000, and have no contact with the victim or her family.Vayas was given credit for 168 days already spent in jail on the charges.