A Westmoreland man convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a child over nearly four years has been sentenced to 70 years in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or early release, according to Sumner County District Attorney General Thomas Dean.
Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Nichols imposed the sentence Tuesday after hearing arguments from Assistant District Attorneys Nathan Nichols and Tara Wyllie. Prosecutors argued the lengthy sentence was warranted because of the extended abuse, the position of trust the defendant held in the victim’s life, and the lasting emotional trauma inflicted on the child.
In May, a Sumner County jury found 46-year-old Mikel Clifford Cecil guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child, rape of a child, and two counts of aggravated sexual battery.
The investigation began in January 2023 after a 10-year-old girl told school staff that Cecil had been sexually abusing her. Westmoreland Police Department Detective Larry Meador and Assistant Chief Ray Nicolazzi arrested Cecil following the disclosure.
During a forensic interview at Ashley’s Place, the victim told investigators the abuse began when she was 6 years old while living in West Virginia and continued for years after her family moved to Westmoreland in Sumner County.
The Sumner County District Attorney’s Office said it will continue working with law enforcement agencies to aggressively prosecute child sexual abuse cases and seek lengthy prison sentences for those convicted.
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