New York, Mar 27 (AP) A once-powerful former North Dakota lawmaker was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years in prison for travelling to Europe with the intent to pay for sex with a minor.

Former state senator Ray Holmberg's attorney Mark Friese confirmed the sentence but declined to comment after the sentencing.

Also Read | NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Says '4 American Soldiers Who Went Missing in Lithuania Have Been Killed'.

Holmberg, 81, pleaded guilty last year in federal court to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.

The sentencing followed seven hours of testimony, victim statements and an apology from a shackled Holmberg, KFGO reported.

Also Read | US Tariffs: President Donald Trump To Announce Tariffs on Auto Imports at White House News Conference.

The defence and prosecution agreed that Holmberg should serve about three years because of his age and poor health, but Judge Daniel Hovland said Holmberg is still a threat to underage boys.

Hovland called Holmberg's character “egregious and despicable” and said that a 37-month sentence wouldn't be a deterrent to others.

While Holmberg denied actually having sex with anyone under 18, Hovland said he can “read between the lines", the radio station reported.

Prosecutors said Holmberg travelled at least 14 times from 2011 to 2021 to Prague, Czech Republic, to pay for sex with adolescent-age boys. In court last year, Holmberg admitted to paying young male masseuses, some of whom he had sexual contact with at an alleged brothel.

But he claimed not to know for certain how old they were.

Acting US Attorney Jennifer Puhl said the crime was “an assault of the dignity of many young boys".

And the majority and minority leaders in the North Dakota Legislature described Holmberg's crimes as “evil” in a statement that vowed additional resources to law enforcement to help combat increases in criminal sexual assaults and human trafficking, KFGO reported.

Holmberg served 45 years in the North Dakota Senate. He resigned in 2022 after The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead reported on his many text messages with a man in jail in connection with child sexual abuse material.

Holmberg chaired two powerful legislative panels, including the Senate's budget-writing committee. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)