A Lake Charles man convicted in the rape of two juveniles has been sentenced to life in prison without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

In 2015, Derrick C. Withers repeatedly sexually abused two victims who ranged in age from 5 to 7 at the time of the crimes, according to the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Robert Wyatt sentenced Derrick C. Withers, 28, ruled the sentences are to run concurrently.

“Child abuse cases are the worst of the worst. It is incredibly difficult to listen to testimony and see evidence of these types of cases and I am thankful the jury of this trial returned a guilty verdict,” District Attorney District Attorney Stephen Dwight said. “This verdict doesn’t mean that we can undo what happened, but it does mean this predator was held accountable for his actions and justice was served. I am incredibly proud of our team for the way they prosecuted this case.”