A 25 year veteran of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery.

Richard Cannon, 50, was arrested in the summer of 2011 and charged with sex counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and one count of capital sexual battery on a minor.  Additional charges were added a month later.

Under his plea agreement, Cannon pleaded guilty to two of 13 counts: custodial sexual battery and attempted sexual battery.

His victims were three girls under the age of 18, at least one under the age of 12.  Prosecutors said he abused them from January 2008 through August 2011.

Cannon read a prepared statement apologizing to his victims, family and friends at the hearing.

He was then immediately sentenced to 30 years in prison and then 15 years of sex offender probation after that.

Two former JSO colleagues testified against him, as well as a psychiatrist who said Cannon has distorted beliefs towards children.

According to Channel 4 the investigation started when one of the girls told some of her classmates about the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

Prosecutors said none of the victims nor their families wanted to attend the hearing because they did not want to relive the acts Cannon committed.  They said the plea deal helped keep the case from going to trial and spared the victims from testifying against him.