A 26-year-old Washington C.H. man who pleaded guilty to sexual battery Tuesday was sentenced to a three-year prison term and designated a Tier III registered sex offender.

As part of a plea agreement with the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office, Devin A. Byrd admitted to the sexual battery of an 18-year-old female at his North North Street home. The incident occurred Feb. 16, and following an investigation by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Byrd was arrested and served with the grand jury indictment on June 30 in Jeffersonville.

Byrd was indicted for rape, but the charge was reduced to sexual battery, according to Fayette County Prosecutor Jess Weade.

“Upon discussion with the victim and in an attempt to avoid having her testify at the trial, we decided to go this route,” Weade said. “This kept her from having to relive the trauma that she experienced from this act. The victim approved of the agreement and the sentence he received.”

According to the FCSO, Byrd sexually assaulted the female “against her will and against her objections.” The female was reportedly familiar to Byrd when the assault occurred.

There are three classifications of registered sex offenders, which are determined at the time of conviction based on the crime. Byrd was designated by Fayette County Common Pleas Court Judge Steven Beathard with the most severe level of sex offender — Tier III.

Offenders categorized under Tier III are required to register every 90 days for the rest of their lives. Each time the offender moves to a new neighborhood or community, that locality will receive notification of the offender’s status. This includes all residents of the area who live within 1,000 feet of the offender’s official residence.