AUGUSTA — A Gardiner man was sentenced Thursday to a serve an initial six months behind bars after he was convicted of possession of sexually explicit materials of minors under age 12.
Barry S. Williams, 61, had pleaded guilty previously to the charge at the Capital Judicial Center with a one-year cap on the initial amount of jail time. The remainder of the three-year jail term was suspended, and he was placed on two years probation.
In exchange for his plea, the state dismissed a charge of dissemination of sexually explicit materials of minors under 12.
According to the indictment, Williams had the material May 22-July 14, 2014, in Gardiner.
He also forfeited a computer and a hard drive that had been seized by police investigating the case.
Justice Joseph Jabar imposed conditions of probation that prohibit Williams from use or possession of devices capable of Internet access and order him to submit to random search and testing for sexually oriented material.
As a result of the conviction, Williams must register for the next 25 years under the state Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Frayla Schoenfeld Tarpinian, had asked Jabar to give Williams a full year behind bars.
“He has intentionally downloaded images of young girls 8-15 for purposes of sexual gratification,” she said.
The prosecutor said 363 images had been downloaded, but not all of those were child pornography.
Defense attorney Darrick Banda had sought less initial jail time for his client. Banda said Williams had no prior criminal record, and that a defendant in a similar case with a similar underlying sentence was ordered to serve an initial 60 days.
Letters supporting Williams were submitted to the court in connection with the case, but there were no other spectators in the courtroom.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams