WAXAHACHIE, Texas — Prosecutors south of Dallas say a 58-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing five children over a two-year period at his wife’s day care.

Dennis Ray Avery of Waxahachie was sentenced Thursday after earlier pleading guilty to five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Ellis County authorities say the victims were all under the age of 6 and attended the home-based day care.

Avery earlier in the week chose to have the jury determine his punishment. It returned the life sentence after two days of testimony and evidence.