A man with a lengthy criminal record stretching back to age 13 was sentenced to 11 years in jail Monday in Suffolk Circuit Court for four sex-related charges and a probation violation.

Dwayne Butts, 29, formerly of Nancy Drive, could have received up to 30 years for two counts each of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties after fondling his 12-year-old stepdaughter last December, said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Marie Walls, who prosecuted the case.

Judge Rodham Delk sentenced Butts to 10 years on each of the battery charges and five years on the indecent liberties charges but suspended 22 years of the sentence. The probation violation carries an automatic three-year sentence.

Butts was found guilty during his April 14 trial.

At that time, Butts said that he had touched the child in a non-sexual manner, Walls said. Butts – whose record includes two charges of possession of marijuana and one of heroin – also admitted that he had smoked marijuana laced with cocaine the night of the incident, Walls said.

Butts asked for an appeal bond, in which he would be allowed to remain free while the case was under appeal. But Delk, citing Butts’ lengthy history and the nature of the crime, denied the request.

Butts is now being held at Western Tidewater Regional Jail.

Delk also ordered that Butts have no contact with the victim, must receive sex offender treatment, and have no unsupervised contact with minors except his son, Walls said.

Butts’ criminal record, including his juvenile years, stretches to over 25 entries, ranging from escape, grand larceny and assault and battery of a police officer, Walls said. Monday marked his first sex-related sentence.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com