FULTON COUNTY, GA — A Fulton County man has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after being convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl he was supposed to be supervising.

According to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Joseph Harris was reported to police seven years ago after the child’s mother said he had sexually assaulted her daughter multiple times inside their home.

The child also reported that Harris assaulted her on several occasions. Harris denied the allegations and accused the girl of lying.

Prosecutors say the abuse caused physical harm to the child, including a medical condition that required surgery following a delayed diagnosis.

At the time of the abuse, Harris was on probation for a previous conviction of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

A jury found Harris guilty on four counts, including two counts of aggravated child molestation and two counts of child molestation.

A judge sentenced Harris to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Harris deserves every day of the sentence he received.

WSB Radio’s Ashley Simmons & Jordan D. Brown contributed to this story.