A former church leader was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday in connection with sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.

David Tillis also was ordered to register as a sexual oriented offender after his sentence concludes, 10TV's Laura Cole reported.

Tillis, who was the victim's church youth leader and counseled children at Brown Road Community Church, was sentenced for two counts of sexual battery and two counts of gross sexual imposition, Cole reported.

"I'm very sorry for misusing your trust," Tillis said in court.  "There is nothing that I can do to gain that back."

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Fais said Tillis' apology was not enough, Cole reported.

"Quite frankly, I didn't find any contrition or any remorse sprinkled throughout that pre-sentence report," Fais said.

The victim's mother decided her daughter shouldn't be there for his sentencing, but read a letter her daughter wrote.

"You played with my mind and used me in a way that I realized," the girl's mother read.  "You messed with not only the outside of me but the inside."

The girl's family said she has not been the same since the incident occurred but hopes Thursday's sentencing would bring them closure, Cole reported.

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