ADA, Ohio (EYT) – A former Clarion County man recently received a life sentence for committing sex crimes against his children.

According to a published article in the Kenton Times, Albert Mast Sr., 52, of Ada, Ohio, was sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole December 13 by Hardin County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Barrett.

Mast Sr. is formerly from the Fryburg area and was formerly part of the Amish community. He lived in Kentucky before moving to Ada, which is located in central Ohio.

Hardin County Assistant Prosecutor Siobhonne K. Ward told exploreClarion.com that Mast is suspected of similar crimes in Kentucky.

Mast Sr. was first charged in July with 123 counts of sexually abusing his children.

After negotiations, Mast Sr. pleaded guilty to one count of raping his biological daughter who was under the age of 10, three counts of sexual battery, and one charge of sexual imposition.

Each of the remaining charges represented an incident involving one of his children.

Judge Barrett sentenced Mast Sr. to life without parole on the rape charge.

He was also ordered to four years for each of the three sexual battery charges and 60 days of local incarceration for the sexual imposition count, which will be served concurrently with the life-plus-12-years-sentence.

Judge Barrett called it “the most heinous case to come before him.”

“There is no more intimate relationship than that between a parent and a child,” the judge said.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Ward, the case against Mast Sr. represents a pattern of sexual abuse against the Mast children for nearly 20 years.

Mast Sr. and his attorney asked for leniency from Judge Barrett. Mast Sr. even asked the judge exactly how many years he will be serving in prison.

Judge Barrett told him “the rest of your natural life.”

The judge allowed Mast Sr.’s pastor to testify on his behalf.

Pastor Ray Ericson said he hoped the family could be reunited some day and asked for mercy. Mast’s attorney, Todd Workman, said his client has shown the most remorse of anyone he has ever represented.

Mast Sr. cried and said he knew what he had done was wrong when he addressed the court. However, Judge Barrett declared Mast Sr. a Tier III sex offender and said he believed if he hadn’t been caught having sex with his young children, his crimes would have continued.