A Kansas family says the man hired to babysit a young girl turned out to be a convicted murderer who raped the child repeatedly over multiple years while she was in his care.

According to the Wichita Eagle, 56-year-old Clifford Eugene Cox was sentenced to life behind bars in 1984 after pleading guilty to murdering Cathryn Kessinger. He killed the Winfield woman by strangling her with a rope.

He served just over 20 years in prison before he was released on parole in 2006.

Earlier this year, the father of an 8-year-old Wichita girl told police he believed the same man had been sexually abusing her.

According to a statement this week by Wichita police officer Charley Davidson, that report came on July 1 and sparked an investigation that ended with Cox’s arrest.

“It was reported as possibly the male had possibly sexually assaulted the 8-year-old victim over the last couple of years on multiple occasions when in his care,” the officer said.

According to records, Cox was booked into Sedgwick County Jail and is expected to face charges of child rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecencies with a child.

As of the latest updates available, he remained behind bars with bail set at $250,000.

Authorities continue to investigate the claims before presenting the case to prosecutors.

“There were other children in the home at times the incidents occurred,” Davidson said. “The other children were siblings of the victim and children of the suspect.”

[Featured image: Clifford Eugene Cox, Kansas Department of Corrections]