Gladewater man sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault of a child

UPSHUR COUNTY — A Gladewater man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 in an Upshur County court, officials said. 38-year-old Johnathan Blake Parker was sentenced as part of a plea bargain agreement with the state, according to Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd. According to our news partner KETK, the assault was reported on February 15, 2020, when deputies responded after Parker said he would kill himself after confessing to his wife that he had been molesting a child for three years. The release stated that he was arrested and taken to the Upshur County Jail, where he also admitted to the years-long sexual abuse. The release said that the state dismissed other counts for the same offense in return for a guilty plea from the defendant, a life sentence and waiving all appeals.