A 44-year-old man who pleaded guilty in May to raping a young girl for more than five years and fathering her child was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison yesterday.

In sentencing Peter Vierra, Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario set a mandatory-minimum term of no less than six years, eight months because Vierra had prior criminal convictions.

At a parole hearing to be held in about six months, Deputy Prosecutor Lori Wada will argue that Vierra should serve the maximum term of not more than 20 years.

He had been attacking the girl since she was 7, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the victim, now 13, became pregnant from the assaults and gave birth to a child in October. The victim and her child are in separate foster homes but maintain contact with each other.

"We'll ask for 20 years because the victim was repeatedly attacked and because she became pregnant and gave birth," said Wada, who had sought a life sentence. "This is a case of innocence lost, a child giving birth to a child."

Vierra pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first- and third-degree sexual assault on May 10 after DNA testing proved he was the father of the newborn child. In apologizing to the victim and her family, Vierra said in court yesterday that he regretted his actions and would take responsibility for the support of the child once he gets out of prison.

The victim's custodial parent, who is her aunt, read a letter from her niece in court that stated her life has been shattered but that she forgives Vierra. Her aunt, however, told Vierra his actions were "horrible and devastating."

In the court hearing, the victim's mother called Vierra "sick and greedy," and said he was a liar who thought he was above the law. Noting that she felt sad for her daughter, the woman said she has pondered what other children Vierra may have hurt.

In asking the judge to make sure Vierra never gets out of prison, the victim's father told Vierra that he will never forgive him.