A Wood County Jury handed down two life sentences to William Jason "Pooh" Pugh for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child on April 9.

State District Judge G. Timothy Boswell presided over the trial. Lead Prosecutor Joey Fenlaw and Assistant District Attorney Angela Converse prepared and presented the State's case, according to a press release from Wood County Criminal District Attorney Jim Wheeler.

The victim told the jury (which was selected April 7) horrific details about "Uncle Bill" sexually assaulting her twice. As the trial unfolded, two other victims described sexual acts committed against them by the defendant. One child detailed four years of abuse, while the other described four different assaults. The jury returned its guilty verdicts in less than an hour, finding Pugh guilty.

Punishment testimony from a Wood County Corrections Officer indicated that during the defendant's incarceration, he had pornography smuggled into the jail. Additional testimony from Clinical Neuropsychologist Dr. Gary Mears made clear that Pugh's victims will forever suffer effects stemming from the defendant's abuse. Mears also testified that pedophilia is a lifelong condition, and that the sole means of preventing its recurrence is to remove the pedophile from the general population, according to the release.

"What William Pugh did was give them a life sentence. That's what I'm going to ask you to do: Give him a life sentence," Fenlaw said during closing arguments.

"I ask you to send a message that when perpetrators like this defendant violate the innocence of little girls, we will not stand for it." Converse added.

Finally, they illustrated for the jury the courage needed for victims to enter a courtroom and describe what Pugh had done. The jury deliberated 25 minutes in returning two life sentences.