An Oak Harbor man pled guilty Thursday to raping a 2-year-old girl.

Jordon Lee Baze pled guilty to one count of first-degree child molestation.

Baze, 26, faces a standard range sentence of 93 to 123 months in prison, but has agreed with the recommendation from the Island County Prosecutor’s Office for an exceptional sentence of 180 months to life.

“The standard sentence range was simply inadequate for what happened to this little girl,” said Deputy Prosecutor Patrick McKenna.

Baze had been left alone with the victim when the victim’s mother had left the apartment she shared with Baze to do laundry. The rape resulted in an injury severe enough that the child had to be transferred to Children’s Hospital in Seattle for surgery.

“It was one of the most heinous crimes ever seen by our office and because of this we made it clear to the defendant that the state would accept nothing less than full responsibility for this act,” McKenna said.

Baze’s trial was scheduled to begin Tuesday, June 10 in Island County Superior Court.

Prosecuting Attorney Greg Banks said the case would have been the most expensive criminal trial in the county since he took office in 1999 due to the extensive investigation, but that the office had no hesitation going forward.

“Ultimately that didn’t matter because we were willing to do whatever was necessary to secure a conviction,” Banks said.

As the crime is a sex offense, the defendant will be sentenced to a minimum term by the court, but could remain in prison up to the rest of his life unless the Department of Corrections determines he is unlikely to reoffend.

Prosecutors are asking for a minimum term of 15 years. The state alleged that aggravating circumstances, including the vulnerability of the victim, justified a minimum sentence above the standard range sentence.

Baze is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24.