ELYRIA, Ohio -- A man who sexually molested a 7-year-old girl was in a Lorain County courtroom Tuesday, where he asked a judge to release him from prison early.

Judge Kosma Glavas ruled in favor of James Whitman, saying the man could be released after serving half of his three-year prison term, reported NewsChannel5.

Whitman pleaded guilty and was sentenced in September 2004 for sexually molesting a neighbor's child three times.

The girl's mother says her daughter remains traumatized.

"Emotionally for her, I can honestly say this is not the same child I had before all this happened. This has been so hard on her," the woman said.

In court, Whitman faced tough questions from the judge.

"I am going to continue to plan to move forward in a positive direction, working to help other people," Whitman told the judge.

Whitman apologized for his crime and insisted he was a changed man who would help others with alcohol and abuse problems.

That was not enough for Elyria police Detective Lisa Dietsche, who investigated the case.

"Where's the justice for the victim in this? In my opinion, if he gets released after a year and a half, there is no justice for the victim. What kind of message does that send to the community?" said Dietsche.

A NewsChannel5 investigation also found that Whitman tried to intimidate the victim and her family during the investigation, and a protective order had to be issued.