An Oregon man was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison for using a computer to facilitate child sex crimes in Shawano County.
Nicholas Bennett, 25, pleaded guilty earlier in 2017 for an incident that happened in October 2015. He was sentenced to 12 years behind bars, with credit for time served, and six years extended supervision.
"I'm always the believer of the longer you put someone on extended supervision, the longer society is protected in general from these people," said Greg Parker, Shawano County District Attorney.
Bennett addressed the court during his sentencing, saying he was sorry for the damage he caused. He told the judge he takes responsibility for his actions.
Bennett was a coach for a basketball clinic and traveled across the country. In October 2015, he met the 13-year-old victim in Shawano County and started texting him, investigators said.
The text messages became suggestive, and the boy's mother went to the sheriff's department, court documents said.
Deputies set up a sting and arrested Bennett.
One charge of attempted child enticement was read into record for sentencing. Previous charges of possession of child pornography were dismissed because of errors while executing a search warrant.
Bennett has been in jail since October 2015 and, as mentioned previously, will get credit for that time served.
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