CUMBERLAND — A 47-year-old city man was sentenced to serve 18 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a sex offense charge Tuesday in Allegany County Circuit Court.

Michael David Apple was sentenced by Judge W. Timothy Finan to 18 months in the Allegany County Detention Center as part of a larger suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual offense involving a 14-year-old girl, according to the State’s Attorney Office.

Finan also ordered that upon release from jail, the defendant will be placed on five years’ supervised probation with special conditions that he register as a sex offender for life, be evaluated for sex offender treatment and adhere to any recommendations for treatment, have no unsupervised contact with minor children and no contact with the victim in this matter.

Apple was accused of committing a sexual act when the 14-year-old victim disclosed to her mother details of a sexual experience she had with the defendant.

The victim also disclosed that over the past four years there have been incidents of inappropriate sexual behavior as well. The victim’s mother reported the incident to the Cumberland Police Department.

An extensive investigation, led by Maryland State Police Detective John Sagal of C3I, was instrumental in securing the conviction, according to State’s Attorney Michael O. Twigg.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline R. Brandlen. Apple was represented by Cumberland attorney David J. Hare.