ST. CLAIRSVILLE – A 59-year-old man was sentenced to nine years in prison Friday for the 1999 kidnapping and rape of a 7-year-old child.

Stephen L. Vargo Jr. appeared before Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra, where he entered a plea of guilty to one count of rape of a child younger than 13 and one count of kidnapping a child younger than 13. Both are felonies of the first degree.

According to the victim, who is now an adult, the incident occurred when a man approached her while she was playing outside her home in 1999 in Martins Ferry. After the man offered her a stuffed animal, she was taken down an alley where she was raped.

The case went unsolved until a DNA match was made linking Vargo to the crime in 2016. Vavra said Vargo has been serving a 30-year sentence in federal prison for “similar charges” since 2000.

During Friday’s hearing, Vargo retracted his former plea of innocence and entered a plea of guilty in the case.

Prior to sentencing, Vavra gave the victim a chance to speak in court.

“I just want to say I’m glad they found the person who did this to me to give me closure. To know who did it to me and to try to get that closure and to let him (Vargo) know that I am better now no matter what he did to me in the past. I’m better now and I have a wonderful family. Now I have closure and can live a happy, better life,” the victim said.

Vargo was sentenced to nine years in prison to be served consecutively with his current sentence.

“The court is going to find that the defendant should serve nine years in the penitentiary and that will be served consecutively to his current sentence. …

“The court is going to find that a consecutive prison term for all these cases is necessary so as to protect the public from further crimes and also to punish Mr. Vargo,” Vavra said.

Vavra said due to Vargo’s history, the consecutive prison terms are necessary in order to protect the public.

“What I’m suggesting Mr. Vargo is that I hope through these consecutive sentences that you never again are released from prison so that you can pray upon children,” Vavra said. “There’s not enough punishment for what you’ve done to these children.”

If Vargo is released from prison, he will have to register as a tier III sex offender.