Decorated soldier Jarah M. Davis went to prison for 50 months Friday for providing a 16-year-old girl he knew with alcohol in May 2015 and having sex with her in the finished basement of his Waterford home, even though she was too drunk to move or speak.

A jury in January had convicted Davis, 29, of second-degree sexual assault of a person who was physically helpless and delivery of alcohol to a minor. They found him not guilty of first-degree sexual assault, a crime that involves the use of force. In taking his case to trial, Davis had turned down an offer from the state to plead guilty in exchange for a four-year prison sentence.

New London Superior Court Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed imposed the prison sentence Friday along with a 10-year period of probation, registration for life as a sex offender and a standing criminal protective order that prohibits Davis from having contact with the victim for the rest of his life.

Davis, who had been free on bond while his case was pending, handed over his cellphone, keys, belt and necktie to his parents before walking into the holding area. He contends the sex was consensual and plans to appeal his conviction, according to his attorney, Bryan P. Fiengo. Jongbloed denied a request to release him on bond while his appeal is pending.

Jongbloed said it has been important to balance the good things Davis has done, including four combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, with the "reprehensible" offense for which jury found him guilty in January.

According to testimony at the trial, Davis's wife, Kaitlyn, invited the teen to spend the night at the Davis' home on Mary Street after they attended a party together in Niantic on May 23, 2015. Davis gave the teen several types of hard alcohol and had sex with her in his "man cave" after his wife went to bed.

The teen had testified that she told Davis "no," but that she was too drunk to move or speak when he had sex with her. Davis initially denied any sexual contact, but his DNA was found in a vaginal swab taken from the girl 36 hours after the incident during an examination at Middlesex Memorial Hospital.

Now an 18-year-old college student, the young woman arrived in court with her parents and other family members Friday and delivered a victim impact statement. She said she contemplated suicide in the wake of the incident and continues to suffer from panic attacks, disturbing dreams and low self-esteem.

"I remember being told, 'He took one night of your life. Don't let him take any more,'" she said. But the attack, she said, is "something I will be stuck with for the rest of my life."

Her mother spoke of the downward spiral that occurred in the household following the incident. Her daughter, an honor student, was unable to sleep or study for exams and became angry, withdrawn and tearful. She was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The crime ruined the once-close relationships between the families involved, the mother said, crying.

"Jarah Davis, shame on you," the mother said. "You are a disgrace to your uniform and the entire U.S. Army. Shame on you."

Davis' attorney, Fiengo, said his client would not be speaking due to the pending appeal. Fiengo pointed to Davis' military service, for which he received a bronze star and several other medals, and said Davis had been a loving and caring parent to his son and his stepchildren before his arrest. Davis and his wife are now in the process of a divorce, and Davis is being discharged from the National Guard, according to Fiengo.

"It is important to point out that Mr. Davis presents the unique case of a person who many times has put his life on the line for anyone who walks into this courtroom, with nine years combat in the war on terror," Fiengo said.

Prosecutor Theresa Anne Ferryman said Davis is "without doubt a hero who has served his country with distinction over an extended period of time," as well as an excellent father and recently, an excellent student pursuing a degree in gaming architecture.

"It doesn't obviate these acts," Ferryman said.

During a presentencing interview with a probation officer, Davis had said, "It takes two to tango," an unfortunate phrase that dismisses the gravity of the crimes, Ferryman said.

Fiengo characterized the incident as the worst five minutes in an otherwise good life. But the judge noted in her remarks that it was not just five minutes because Davis had provided the teen with alcohol over the course of the evening.

Jongbloed said that in crafting the sentence, she considered Davis' "outstanding" military service, an evaluation that deems him at low risk of reoffending, the absence of a history of drug or alcohol abuse and letters of support sent by Davis' military colleagues.

She considered also the statements of the victim and her mother, Jongbloed said.

"It's clear to the court this incident has had a devastating impact on the victim and will continue to," she said.

The judge also cited Davis' criminal record, which includes a conviction in Nevada for carrying brass knuckles and one in Kansas for criminal trespass.

k.florin@theday.com