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A man who formerly lived in Austin, has been sentenced to prison for felony first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

Robert Walter Buneta, 49, was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday in Mower County District court for an incident where he had been accused by a 12-year-old girl of sexually assaulting her while they were living in the community.

According to the court complaint, the girl told her mother about the abuse in April of last year after they had moved to Indiana. The mother took her to the hospital and a nurse contacted and Austin Police Department officer to report the attacks.

The girl was questioned by a Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department detective and told him that the attacks started when she was 10 and claimed Buneta would touch her when she was wearing clothes.

However, as time went on the incidents escalated into sexual encounters with the girl, who told the detective that the attacks would take place at varying times during the day and always when they were alone.

Buneta will serve his time at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud. He was given credit for 73 days served and is up for conditional release after 10 years.