An elder in a West Texas religious sect faces up to life imprisonment after he was convicted of molesting a girl under the guise of checking her for cervical cancer.

A jury in Taylor County convicted Yedidiyah Hawkins, a 40-year-old elder in the House of Yahweh sect, of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

A state district judge will set the sentence, probably within 45 days.

Hawkins earlier decided that he wanted a judge to assess the punishment if jurors found him guilty.

A 15-year-old girl testified that she was 11 when he claimed to be checking her for cervical cancer with an instrument used by gynecologists, although other witnesses said he has no medical training.

A former House of Yahweh member testified that Hawkins was worried the girl was no longer a virgin.

The sect's leader, self-proclaimed prophet Yisrayl Hawkins, faces trial later this year on bigamy and child labor charges.