Despite pleading with a judge for mercy, a former pastor has been given a life sentence in prison after he was found guilty of multiple charges of trafficking and assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

“I don’t deserve life. I don’t deserve life,” Anthony Haynes said to the judge during what The Toledo Blade called "a sermon-like speech."

Haynes, 40, is the former leader of Greater Life Christian Center in Toledo, Ohio.

"Like I said, I’ve been doing life for 27 months while I’ve been away from my children and this hurts ... my need today is for you to have mercy on Anthony Haynes."

"Society relies on people of trust ... It’s totally violated here and we have to send a message"

The court heard that the teenage girl moved into Haynes' home in 2014 after her mother was no longer able to care for her. Haynes then groomed the girl to have sex with himself. He also then arranged for her to have sex with two other pastors. One of those pastors has been sentenced to life in prison, and the other 17½ years.

The Blade says that Haynes took his case to trial in March, and a federal jury found him guilty of engaging in sex trafficking with a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and obstructing a sex-trafficking investigation.

The girl had already been a victim of sexual assault before moving in with Haynes, something which he knew according to the U.S. Attorney who prosecuted him. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman said Haynes used his position as a pseudo-parent and a clergyman to take advantage of the girl.

“Society relies on people of trust ... It’s totally violated here and we have to send a message,” Judge Bernard Friedman said.

The girl told the court that she has since started an organization to help other victims of sexual assault and trafficking.