A jury found Richard Braswell, 76, of Princeton, guilty of the single felony charge after a two-week trial in Johnston County Superior Court.
Braswell was sentenced to serve an active prison term of 20 to 33 months and was required to register as a sex offender for 30 years. The sentence was the maximum allowed under the law.
The incident happened in 2022 and involved a 13-year-old girl. Braswell was arrested in June.
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners announced during its meeting Monday night that the search had begun for Braswell's replacement to fill the vacant seat in District 3.
"The District Attorney's office is very pleased with the verdict and the sentence imposed," said Assistant District Attorney Paul T. Jackson. "We are very grateful to the Jurors in this case who were able to see and hear the survivor's truth. We are also grateful to the brave survivor of the defendant's horrible crime. With amazing courage and at great personal cost, this child came forward and exposed a powerful member of our community. She agreed to testify in hopes that no other child would ever have to suffer a sexual assault at the hands of the defendant. We all owe her a debt of gratitude for courageously coming forward and for her brave testimony. We also appreciate the Johnston County Sheriff's Office and Detective Meredith Langston for immediately recognizing her credibility and truthfulness. The Johnston County District Attorney's Office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone, regardless of their power or stature, who preys upon children in our community."