Covington Firefighter Pleads Guilty To Rape Charge

COVINGTON, La. (AP) — A 29-year-old Covington firefighter accused of sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to forcible rape.

The St. Tammany Parish District Attorney's Office says Theodore George Williams could face up to 40 years in prison when he returns to court on Jan. 22 for sentencing.

The Times-Picayune reports (bit.ly/Ue2Gom) Williams entered his plea Monday.

Williams also must resign from the Covington Fire Department, per a plea deal with the state.

A grand jury indicted Williams for aggravated rape in November 2011, two months after he was arrested on the charge. If convicted, he faced an automatic life sentence.