Hanif Sims
/ FOX21: file photo
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A man who plead guilty in January to child abuse resulting in death after his daughter was found dead in 2010 was sentenced to 40 years in prison Tuesday.
A judge gave Hanif Sims, the father of 7-year-old Genesis, the maximum sentence. Genesis was found buried in a crawl space in May 2010.
"We are pleased with the sentence, we think it is a good sentence," Prosecutor Margaret Vellar said.
Sims and his girlfriend, Monique Lynch, allegedly murdered the girl and buried her under their house at the time in Monument.
Contractors digging a pit found Genesis' body last year under the home.
Authorities began looking for the couple after the body was found. They were arrested in Nevada.
"I saw a father who was doing the best he could with the circumstances that he had, he is not a perfect father," Defense Attorney Matt Warner said.
Sims and Lynch have blamed each other for the girl's death. Lynch testified against Sims and took a plea deal for child abuse resulting in death.
Sims accepted the same plea in January.
Lynch was sentenced to 27 years in June, which would have been the minimum Sims could have received Tuesday.
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