A Gaffney man was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment late Thursday afternoon after a jury found him guilty of the sexual assault of a teenage girl.

Garron Ladon Norris, 39, who has been held in custody since February 2009, was accused of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a then 15- year-old girl on numerous occasions between July 2008 and January 2009.

Norris, who acted as his own attorney, didn’t testify on his own behalf but challenged that the sexual encounters ever occurred.

The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for about one and a half hours Thursday before reaching a verdict.

Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch, who presided over the trial, later sentenced Norris to 15 years in the state Department of Corrections.

Assistant Solicitor Michael Morin, who prosecuted the case, argued to the jury that the majority of everything prosecutors had to prove was clear. The victim was less than 16 years old during the time frame in question and Norris was much older and in a position of influence over the teenage girl — all of which were elements of the criminal sexual conduct charge.

With those issues not in question, Morin argued the case boiled down to whether or not the jury believed a sexual battery had occurred. And while there were no eyewitnesses to the crime, he argued one witness clearly saw Norris running away from the victim one day with his pants down.

Now 17, the victim recounted that Norris first engaged in inappropriate behavior with her in July 2008.

She claimed he had sex with her practically every time he saw her in coming months.

“Every visit (with him), every time I spent the night, he would have sex with me,” she told the jury.

“I didn’t do anything because I was afraid,” the teen added. “I didn’t know what he was capable of.”

The teen didn’t tell anyone about the incidents until February 2, 2009, when she was immediately taken to police.

Because Norris was acting as his own attorney, he got to question all of the witnesses, including the victim, prompting several obviously uncomfortable moments in the courtroom.

Through his lines of questioning throughout the trial, Norris tried to claim that the allegations were fabricated.

He repeatedly questioned witnesses about dates, as well, arguing that the dates of the alleged abuse varied greatly.

Referring to the testimony of social workers who were called as witnesses in the case, Morin argued to the jury that it’s not uncommon for young victims of sexual assaults to be unclear about exact times and dates.