ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Candler man was sentenced this week to between 40 and 58 years in prison after a Buncombe County jury convicted him of multiple child sex crimes.

Timothy Foster was found guilty Tuesday of three counts of statutory rape of a child under 15, seven counts of statutory sex offense with a child under 15 and three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, according to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Department of Justice.

Superior Court Judge Alan Thornburg handed down the sentence, permanently barred Foster from contacting the victim and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon release.

Authorities said the abuse took place between January 2020 and February 2022, when the victim, Foster’s adopted daughter, was between 13 and 15 years old.

The case began in February 2022, when Foster reported to deputies that the victim had not returned home after school. During the investigation, detectives with the sheriff’s office, along with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Social Services, determined Foster had sexually abused the child.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson said his office’s prosecutors secured the conviction after the case was referred by Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams. Jocelyn Wright, a special prosecutor with the DOJ’s Special Prosecution and Law Enforcement Section, led the case.

“This defendant repeatedly hurt a child in his care, and it’s right that he spends the rest of his life in prison,” Jackson said. “I’m grateful to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the State Bureau of Investigation and my office’s prosecutors for handling this case.”

Sheriff Quentin Miller said the outcome reflected the dedication of multiple agencies and community members who assisted.

“This investigation proves that when we combine our intelligence, resources and resolve, we can protect our residents and bring offenders to justice,” Miller said. “Here in Buncombe County, we are a community of ‘We.’ The justice delivered today will have a lasting impact, making our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”

Detective Tonya Reeves, who led the investigation, credited Wright’s prosecution work.

“Her compassion, hard work and dedication in this case was instrumental in obtaining justice for the victim,” Reeves said.