A former Kirksville man has been sentenced after he was found guilty of sex crimes against children.

Last month, a Knox County, Mo., jury found John Michael Cleary guilty of one count of first-degree statutory sodomy and three counts of first-degree child molestation.

The trial was held in Knox County on a change of venue from Adair County.

Cleary appeared before Judge Thomas Redington in Edina on Tuesday to learn his sentence.

The judge followed the jury's recommendation on sentencing, and Cleary was ordered to serve one sentence of life and three sentences of 15 years in prison.

All sentences will be served consecutively.

The crimes, which took place at two separate locations in the Kirksville area between 2009 and 2012, were investigated by the Kirksville Police Department.