( CNN ) -- A judge sentenced a former Peace Corps volunteer to 15 years in prison for abusing girls under the age of 6 in South Africa while he was a volunteer there , federal officials said . The sentencing was announced Thursday in a statement from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . Jesse Osmun , 33 , of Milford , Connecticut , joined the Peace Corps in 2010 and worked in a nongovernmental organization 's AIDS center for children whose families had suffered or died from the disease , his attorney , Richard Meehan , Jr. , told CNN Thursday . Osmun volunteered as a Web designer for the center and worked with older children in a `` scout '' program . While there , Osmun engaged in sexual acts with four girls , all under the age of 6 , officials said . One girl was abused twice a week over the course of approximately five months , authorities said . Peace Corps volunteer charged with sexual abuse of children in Africa . `` The way that the government has framed the case is that a teacher walked into a room that ( Osmun ) was in with three little girls , '' Meehan said . The teacher noticed that Osmun quickly zipped his pants and , after questioning one of the girls , the teacher found that he had exposed himself and asked them to touch him . When the program director of the NGO confronted him with these allegations , Osmun confessed to being involved with the four little girls , saying that he had touched them and asked them to touch him in exchange for candy , his attorney said . Osmun resigned from the Peace Corps and returned to the United States . The U.S. Peace Corps has called Osmun 's acts `` reprehensible . '' The organization was notified about the allegations against him after he returned to the United States , and it immediately contacted authorities , the Peace Corps said in a statement . Special agents from ICE 's Homeland Security Investigations ( HSI ) directorate then worked with members of the South African Police Service and Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation to launch an investigation that resulted in Osmun 's arrest on August 4 , 2011 , officials said . Osmun was sentenced Wednesday to 180 months in a U.S. prison , followed by 10 years of supervised release . David Fein , U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut , congratulated all investigative parties in a statement . `` Their collaborative efforts , and this strict sentence , have stopped this child predator , '' he said . The Peace Corps donated $ 20,000 to a fund that Osmun 's family started for his victims . `` The Peace Corps is committed to ensuring that the children affected by these crimes receive proper care and treatment , '' Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams said . `` As this sentence clearly demonstrates , there will be no refuge for U.S. citizens who believe that they may victimize children outside the United States , '' said Peter Vincent , director of HSI 's Office of International Affairs . `` No place is too distant or too remote to escape the attention of law enforcement . '' Osmun 's attorney noted that his client gave a full confession and cooperated with the court to spare the victims the trauma of a trial . Meehan attributed these actions to the judge giving Osmun a lower sentence than was recommended .
Jesse Osmun , 33 , of Connecticut worked at a center for orphans in South Africa . While there , he engaged in sexual acts with four girls , all under the age of 6 , officials say . When confronted with the allegations , Osmun confessed , his attorney says . The Peace Corps has donated to a fund that Osmun 's family set up to help his victims .