Brayan Reyes, a 41-year old man facing a charge of raping an 11-year-old Metairie girl will spend the next 40-years in prison.
On Thursday Reyes accepted a guilty plea to a charge of sexually assaulting a child under age of 13.
Initially the Jefferson Parish Grand Jury indicted Reyes on the higher crime of forcible rape.
A conviction would've sent Reyes to prison for life.
According to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, Reyes was set to stand trial this week in Gretna criminal court before Judge Scott Schlegel.
In making the plea, Reyes faced 25-to-99-years. Reyes will serve the full 40-years, and then will have to register as a sex offender following his release.
Had Reyes gone to trial he would've faced a woman who first reported the crime to authorities in 2016. The witness said Reyes was a friend of the victim's family at the time.
Reyes was arrested the next day.