A 42-year-old Whatcom County man was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison for sexually molesting two young children.

David Allen James is a Lummi tribal member and the crimes occurred on tribal land so the case was handled by federal prosecutors.

James pleaded guilty.

The U.S. attorney's office says James told the court he too was molested as a child. Judge Robert Lasnik urged his family to "step up and stop this cycle of abuse."