by Leah Justice
leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

A 12-member Polk County jury found Anthony Kyle Biggs guilty of three counts of indecent liberties with a child and three counts of statutory sexual offense with a child that sent him to prison for at least 71 years.

Judge Robert T. Sumner sentenced Biggs during Polk County Superior Court to a minimum of 71 years in prison and a maximum of more than 87 years following a jury trial, according to court documents.

The actual sentence was for Biggs to serve 288 months – 355 months, plus 288 months – 355 months, plus 276 months – 341 months, to run consecutively, according to court records.

Biggs, of Green Creek, who was 44 at the time of his arrest on Feb. 19, 2013, was out on bond when he appeared at his trial last week. The trial began on Wednesday, Sept. 17 and concluded Friday afternoon with the sentencing hearing.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Biggs after investigating the case since the beginning of 2013 following an incident report in reference to possible sexual allegations against a minor.

According to sheriff’s office reports, the allegations came from a female who told investigators that sexual assaults were made on her by Biggs over several years. The incidences allegedly occurred beginning when the victim was under the age of 13, according to the sheriff’s office. The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation assisted the sheriff’s office in the investigation.