Man gets 15 years for sex with minor

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) - Circuit Judge John Gargiulo has
sentenced Bryan Mitchell to 15 years in prison for having sex with
a 15-year-old girl.
    The 44-year-old Mitchell pleaded guilty to statutory rape from
an incident in 2007.
    Assistant District Attorney Chris Fisher tells The Sun Herald on
Monday that the sex wasn’t forcible but state law makes it illegal
for anyone 16 or younger to have sex.
    Mitchell was indicted as a habitual offender because of prior
convictions on grand larceny and burglary. As a habitual offender,
Mitchell must serve his time without eligibility for early release.