HELENA – Montana’s governor says it was “unacceptable for a judge to give a man a 60-day jail sentence for raping his 12-year-old daughter.

Gov. Steve Bullock sent an email Thursday to constituents who contacted his office about District Judge John McKeon’s recent sentencing of an eastern Montana man.

State law calls for a mandatory minimum 25-year sentence for incest if the victim is age 12 or younger. McKeon gave the men a 30-year suspended prison sentence under an exception that allows for a lesser sentence if a psychosexual evaluation determines the offender could receive treatment while still protecting the victim and the community.

Bullock’s letter said any decision over an appeal would be made by the Valley County attorney in consultation with the Attorney General’s office. Department of Justice spokesman John Barnes says the AG’s office is speaking with the county attorney’s office about the case.