DULUTH - The former owner of a popular West Duluth Italian restaurant and market was sentenced Monday for the sexual abuse of a young girl.

In April, William Kalligher, 62, pleaded guilty to a count of second degree and a count of attempted first degree criminal sexual conduct. In St. Louis County court in Duluth Monday, Judge David Johnson sentenced him to six years.

"The acts that Mr. Kalligher pled guilty to are such a small example of how easy it was for him to take the innocence, joy and safety from this young girl. He selfishly took something he can never give back," said Vicky Wanta, who prosecuted the case.

Kalligher was charged in 2021 with several counts of criminal sexual conduct related to two minors, with allegations spanning more than a decade. A criminal complaint said a police investigation was launched that year following "numerous sexual assault allegations."

The case involving an allegation from a boy, which the complaint said stemmed from incidents between 2005 and 2006 when he was 9 or 10 years old, was dismissed as part of his plea agreement, court records show. Kalligher was charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct in that case.

The girl, who was known to Kalligher, reported several incidents between 2018 and 2019 when Kalligher was high on marijuana, a complaint says, noting she was either 13 or 14 at the time. The complaint described Kalligher removing her clothing and touching her.

Kalligher owned the family-run Gannucci's Italian Market, which appeared on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" in 2014. Open since 1975 in various incarnations, the restaurant closed permanently in 2021.