Former University student Dustin LaPradd was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for possession of child pornography. The downloads were made from LaPradd's dorm room in the Hench building of the Faulkner Apartment complex, according to court documents.
The pornography was uncovered after a search warrant was issued for LaPradd's computer April 10, 2009, while he was enrolled at the University, court documents show. He was arrested May 19, 2009.
LaPradd's illegal downloads originally were discovered by an organization called Internet Crimes Against Children, which tracks people who appear to be trading or downloading known images of child pornography online.
"When they detect someone's doing that, usually by use of a file sharing network, they are able to get orders that trace IP address and then specifically locate what computer it goes to," said Jon Zug, assistant commonwealth's attorney for Albemarle County.
ICAC had been tracking LaPradd's downloads long before his computer was searched, and in court LaPradd, 25, admitted to having downloaded the illegal images for more than a year, Zug said.\nAt the preliminary sentence hearing in February, LaPradd pleaded guilty to 10 counts of possession and originally was sentenced five years for each of the incriminations. At his final sentencing Wednesday, 47 of the years were suspended, giving LaPradd an active sentence of three years, Zug said.
"[LaPradd's] sentence was not inordinate, but somewhat typical," Zug said. "He wasn't treated more or less harshly than other individuals who are similarly situated."
Judge Cheryl Higgins heard LaPradd's case at the Albermarle County Circuit Court. LaPradd explained to Higgins at the sentencing that he had been teaching during his time so far in prison, according to court transcripts. He had been preparing other inmates for the General Educational Development examination, which certifies the taker as having a high-school level education.
"I've actually become head of the math department," LaPradd said, according to court transcripts. "I teach every class and we've actually been holding impromptu classes in our housing unit to get students ready."
After LaPradd is released from prison, he will be placed on a sex offender registry and be on probation for some time. His "house and computer will be subject to random screens and searches to make sure he's not viewing any child pornography," Zug said.
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