A man in his late 20s faces possible life imprisonment after a jury convicted him Wednesday on seven counts relating to the alleged rape of a 5-year-old girl.

Larry McCowan, of Carrollton, was convicted of rape, aggravated sodomy, kidnapping with bodily injury, cruelty to children and three counts of child molestation after allegedly taking the girl out of bed in January, raping her and sodomizing her mouth outside a home in which both were staying.

Some of these charges carry the option of life sentences, though inmates may be eligible for parole after 30 years. Sentencing is expected Aug. 17.

“Obviously, we’re going to ask the judge to consider consecutive sentences,” District Attorney Pete Skandalakis said. He said multiple life sentences “send a message” to the parole board that life in prison is required, and if one did the types of things McCowan was convicted of doing, “you ought to spend the rest of your life in prison.”

Public defender John Howe, who primarily represented McCowan, said he could not comment. Circuit Public Defender Gerald Word said his office was “very disappointed” and was certain there would be an appeal.

“I am certain that this case was cleanly tried,” Skandalakis said. “I do not foresee any problems (with an appeal). I believe this conviction will stand.”

Skandalakis said McCowan was offered concurrent, not consecutive, life sentences plus 20 years for guilty pleas on all counts before the trial, and the offer was still valid even after the girl testified Monday. McCowan’s minister, Eli Daniel, said McCowan was “so determined” and refused to take a plea deal.

McCowan’s uncle, Larry Jones, said his nephew, who reportedly used drugs in the past, “blanked out” and didn’t remember anything. McCowan does not have prior sexual offense convictions, according to authorities.

A doctor who examined the girl after the attack said she had injuries to her genitals and a cut on the head requiring five staples. Both attorneys stipulated no DNA was found on the girl. Several witnesses either reported taking the girl away from McCowan outside the home or being told by the girl that “Larry” hurt her.

“I thank the good Lord that we were able to put together a case ... show the jury the truth of what happened,” Skandalakis said.

Jurors - eight men, four women - deliberated for roughly four hours. However, about an hour before their verdict, they indicated they had verdicts on all charges except the aggravated sodomy count, on which they were split 8-4 after an initial 6-5 split. The idea of declaring a mistrial solely on that one count and hearing the verdicts on the others was considered, but rejected by the defense, and it was ultimately decided that the jury ought to keep deliberating longer in hopes of a unanimous verdict.

The aggravated sodomy charge was hurt by the fact the girl’s 70-year-old babysitter, Frances Adams, at whose house the incident occurred, would not commit on the stand to earlier statements to authorities that she saw McCowan sodomizing the girl’s mouth. The girl testified it occurred, according to Skandalakis.

Though he and Daniel didn’t contest that McCowan had done something to the girl, Jones said after the trial that there wasn’t enough evidence for the aggravated sodomy charge - Skandalakis had coached the jury into agreement.

“The evidence they had wasn’t evidence at all,” Jones said of the case.

During jury deliberations, Lamar Arnold called his nephew a “good guy” and said more should have been made of the idea there was another man in the house where the incident occurred. Adams’ daughter, Sandra Dee Adams, testified she was at the home with her friend “Tyrese.”

Both Jones and Daniel criticized Howe’s handling of the case.

Word called this complaint “not worth responding to.”

“You deal with the hand ... play the hand you’re dealt,” he said.