AUGUSTA — An Oakland man was sentenced earlier this month to serve 8 years in prison for sexually abusing two children, including one who was younger than 12 years old.

Steven J. Corbin, 53, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse of a minor and one count of unlawful sexual contact, and was sentenced to serve at least a total of eight years in prison, followed by 12 years of probation. As part of a plea deal, a charge of gross sexual assault was dismissed.

He pleaded guilty to the charges Feb. 6, during jury selection for his trial, which was scheduled to start on some of the charges Tuesday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta, according to District Attorney Maeghan Maloney.

Maloney said the largest reason the state agreed to a plea deal with Corbin was to spare one of the victims, now 18 years old, from having to testify and be cross-examined at trial, and because the victim asked the state to accept his plea.

Corbin was sentenced to three years combined on three of the counts of sexual abuse of a minor, and five years, to be served consecutively, on the fourth count of sexual abuse of a minor, for a total of eight years in prison. He was also sentenced to 10 years, all of them suspended, and 12 years of probation on the unlawful sexual contact charge, a Class B felony, Maloney said.

If Corbin follows the terms of his probation, he will serve eight years in prison, but if he does not comply with the conditions of his probation, he could face up to an additional 10 years in prison.

One of the sexual abuse of a minor incidents took place in Oakland on or between July 25, 2019, and July 25, 2021; and the three others took place in Oakland on or between July 26, 2021, and Dec. 1, 2021. Each occurred when the victim was 14 or 15 years old, according to Corbin’s indictment.

The unlawful sexual contact incident involved a different child who was less than 12 years old at the time, and took place between Jan. 1, 2022, and July 21, 2023, also in Oakland.

All the crimes were investigated by Oakland police Chief Charles “Rick” Stubbert.