JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 23-year-old Bluford man was sentenced Wednesday in Jefferson County Court to 25-years in prison for sexually assaulting a child.

Branden L. Holt pleaded guilty in court Wednesday to one Class X felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13 in exchange for a second count being dismissed.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Holt in August 2019 on a $150,000 warrant charging him with the offenses.

Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Blaine Uhls said at the time that the victim reported the incident to Clay County authorities in 2018. JCSO took over the investigation when it was discovered that the incident took place in the county.

Uhls said Holt was out of the area and police could not talk to him about the incident until mid-July 2019. He says deputies were finally able to interview Holt on July 22, 2019, and they proceeded to send the information collected to the Jefferson County State’s Attorney.

A warrant was subsequently issued for Holt’s arrest and he has remained in the Jefferson County Jail since that time. He will have to serve 85 percent of his 25-year sentence.