COVINGTON, La. — A Mandeville man was sentenced Monday (Nov. 6) to 30 years in prison for the sexual battery of a victim under 13 and 10 years each for two counts of molestation of a juvenile.

The sentences are to be served at the same time.

A St. Tammany Parish jury found Dwayne Callahan, 55, of Mandeville guilty of the charges May 24. He was sentenced by District Judge William J. Burris.

The sexual battery charge and one of the molestation charges stem from crimes that took place between 2001 and 2007.

In one incident, Callahan entered a room where two girls were sleeping in bunk beds. He began touching one of the girls in a sexual manner, and when she said “no,” the other girl looked up and saw Callahan’s hand in the victim’s pants.

The girls told family members, who contacted police. When the girl who witnessed the incident disclosed at the Children’s Advocacy Center what she had seen, she also revealed that Callahan had touched her the same way when she was 4 years old.

The other molestation charge dates back to between 1997 and 1999, when Callahan was accused of molesting another girl in a similar way. The girl revealed the abuse during counseling.

Callahan also has a prior conviction for illegal discharge of a firearm.