Warning, this story contains details that some readers may find disturbing

A 63-year-old man from Washington state was sentenced last month to more than eight years in prison for raping a child while on vacation in Canada.

A news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington, dated Oct. 25, says John Timothy Whicher of Port Townsend, Wash., located about 90 kilometres northwest of Seattle, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 102 months, or eight-and-a-half years, in prison and 10 years of supervised release for the offence.

He will be required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison.

Whicher pleaded guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place in February 2021.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said the victim "has a life sentence .... He'll live with this. This kind of horrendous assault follows a victim through their entire life."

The U.S. Attorney's Office, a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, states that records filed in the case and plea agreement show in August 2017, Whicher took a six-year-old child to Canada to stay at a family cabin in Ontario.

After returning from the trip, the child disclosed the sexual molestation to a parent, saying Whicher said to keep it a secret.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says the parent confronted Whicher and reported the conduct to the Port Townsend Police Department, which then contacted Canadian authorities.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says federal prosecutors first learned of the criminal conduct when Canada filed to extradite Whicher to face charges, and forwarded the request to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle. Assistant U.S. attorneys then worked with local and Canadian law enforcement to bring appropriate charges in the Western District of Washington.

"Child sexual abuse has been linked to long-term trauma, health and social problems for victims, including addiction and suicide risk," U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said in the news release.

"The conduct in this case was a shocking betrayal to the child and the child's family. Law enforcement both here and in Canada worked collaboratively seeking justice in this case."

Speaking to the court, the mother of the victim said Whicher "turned out to be the biggest threat in both of our lives."

The case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Port Townsend Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney's Office credited Canadian law enforcement for providing "critical assistance."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hampton prosecuted the case.