GREEN RIVER — Richard Allen Turner spent his birthday Thursday being told he will never be a free man.

Turner, 57, appeared before District Court Judge Suzannah Robinson during a change of plea and sentencing hearing related to methamphetamine-fueled sexual crimes he committed against a minor. He pleaded no contest to five of the 19 charges filed against him. Those were two amended charges of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree and three counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree.

Each first-degree sexual assault charge resulted in a life in prison sentence without parole, while Robinson sentenced Turner to between nine and 10 years for each second-degree sexual abuse charge. The sentences for each count are to be served concurrently. The penalties were enhanced due to a 2001 conviction Turner had for aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Robinson also ordered Turner to pay $1,125 in fees as part of his sentence. He was given credit for 234 days already served and a no-contact order with the minor victim in the case was imposed.

The other charges in this case were dismissed. The charges for two other cases involving Turner’s alleged possession of child pornography and his alleged failure to register as a sex offender will also be dismissed through the plea agreement.

Turner’s Public Defender, Rachel Weksler, said Turner crafted the plea agreement to avoid forcing the minor involved to testify in court. She said he did that to honor both the minor victim and child of his that died last year, saying Turner is the sum greater than his criminal charges. Robinson said it’s unusual for someone to accept a plea agreement involving life in prison without having the death penalty on the table. She also agrees with Weksler that the agreement is sparing the victim from coming to court, but told Turner she hopes the reason behind his no contest pleas is due to the methamphetamine usage and not a ploy to later deny committing the acts.

A no contest plea results in a defendant accepting the punishment of a crime as if they are guilty but allows them to avoid speaking under oath about the charges. She said Turner pled no contest to crimes no child should ever have to go through and said what occurred were some of the worst acts she has ever read.

“It’s a terrible, terrible case Mr. Turner,” Robinson said.

Robinson said she also hopes Turner will grow as a person while living the rest of his days in prison and will understand how wrong his actions were.