A Carbon County man was sentenced to a state prison term on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a young boy over a four-year period.

Terrance Roberts, 24, of Lehighton, was sentenced to serve 12 to 36 months in a state correctional institution by Judge Steven R. Serfass on a charge of statutory sexual assault. He previously pleaded guilty to the charge.Serfass rejected a plea from defense counsel, Attorney Paul Levy of the public defenders office, to sentence Roberts to a county prison term.Serfass called the crime a "heinous act" and said Roberts, "took advantage of this young person and continuously committed sexual acts with him."Serfass said the investigation by Lehighton police revealed that Roberts repeatedly made the boy, who was 9 at the time, perform a sex act on him and that he repeatedly sexually assaulted the boy. The police said the assaults occurred over a period of 2002 to 2006 in a home along Bridge Street.Levy told Serfass that his client did ruin many lives by what he did, noting the acts occurred over 10 years ago when Roberts was a teen himself.Roberts told Serfass, "I known I was wrong for what I did."Levy said after the incidents and later in his life Roberts turned to drug use but has since gotten that under control.Roberts was charged on May 24, 2013. The case has taken a long time coming through the system. There has been at least 33 continuances granted in the case.In addition to the jail term, Serfass ordered Roberts to undergo a sexual offenders evaluation, get a mental health evaluation, supply a DNA sample, pay court costs of about $1,000, and have no contact with the victim or his family. He was given credit for 160 days spent in jail on the charge.A request by Levy to have the start of the sentence delayed for a week was denied by Serfass."He knew when he entered his plea he was going to jail at sentencing. He should have gotten his affairs in order by now," Serfass said.Roberts began the term immediately.