A Dayton man pleaded guilty this month to raping a 16-year-old back in November.

Ronnie Allen Holderby, 46, was arrested Dec. 7 and charged with two counts of rape, three counts of sexual battery and two counts of another sexual crime.

A friend of the girl contacted the Tennessee Department of Children's Services in November and told them that the girl had indicated she was sexually molested during the summer of 2000.

Dayton Police Investigator Chris Sneed interviewed Holderby on Dec. 1, at which time Holderby admitted to sexually assaulting the girl several times during the summer, according to Sneed. The attacks took place in a shed behind the girl's home.

Holderby entered a guilty plea in April to one count of rape. Circuit Judge Rusty Graham sentenced Holderby to 11 years in prison for the Class B felony. He will have to serve a minimum of 85 percent of the sentence- nine years, four months- before he can become eligible for parole, according to Assistant District Attorney Jim Pope.

In addition, as a sexual offender, Holderby will remain under state supervision for the rest of his life.

John Carpenter can be reached at jcarpenter@xtn.net.