LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 45-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl in Lincoln has been sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison.

Fidel Romero was sentenced Thursday on a charge of first-degree sexual assault. He must serve about 26 years before he’s eligible for parole.

Romero is accused of sexually molesting the girl over several incidents when he lived in Lincoln. The girl told a counselor at her middle school that Romero began molesting her in 2010.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/1OE5W9B ) Romero was arrested in New Mexico in 2014. He was later brought back to Lincoln, where he pleaded no contest to the charge last month.

A defense attorney says Romero was sexually abused when he was 8 years old, and it could have affected his behavior.