Katilyn Wilkes stands before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Rice, who sentenced her to three to-four-and-a-half years in prison on five counts of gross sexual imposition and six counts of sexual battery.

WARREN — A former dance instructor was sentenced Monday to three to-four-and-a-half years in prison after being convicted in May of sexually abusing a 12-year-old former student.

A tearful Katilyn Wilkes, 20, of Vienna, stood before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Rice as she was sentenced on five counts of gross sexual imposition and six counts of sexual battery. The charges are part of a plea deal to settle the six rape charges that jurors were unable to agree on during a May trial.

When Wilkes initially was indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury, she faced 14 counts of rape that carried the potential sentence of 25 years to life, and two counts of gross sexual imposition.

The crimes took place in December 2021 and January 2022 — two counts specifically on Jan. 29 — and February 2022 in four spots around Trumbull County.

The court ruled Monday that Wilkes will have to register as a tier 3 sex offender for life and also no longer will be able to hold a position of authority.

Addressing the court briefly, Wilkes said: “I love everybody. I’d do anything for anyone and to this day I would do anything for anyone.”

Throughout the May trial, Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber repeatedly painted a picture to the jury of Wilkes as an authority figure over the 12-year-old girl Wilkes taught at a dance studio in Cortland.

A harsher sentence of 10 to 13 years was suggested by Barber, who believes that Wilkes has shown “no remorse” or signs of “taking responsibility her actions. ”

But on Monday she said she was satisfied with the judge’s sentence.

“We’re always satisfied when our victims are believed,” Barber said.