An Albemarle County man accused of having sexual contact with a Connecticut teenager and possessing child pornography, will spend the next decade in prison.
James Gardner Dennis, 35, was sentenced to 11 years in prison this morning in Albemarle Circuit Court. Judge Jay T. Swett handed down the following sentence:
-- Two years for use of a communications system to entice a minor, with all but six months suspended.
-- Twelve months for consensual sodomy, all of which was suspended.
-- Six months for misdemeanor sexual battery.
-- Two years on each of 20 counts of possession of child pornography, but one year and six months was suspended on each count.
Dennis will remain under intense supervised release for two years and on probation for another two, as well as 15 years of good behavior.
Authorities have said Dennis met a then-17-year-old girl on the Internet and bought her a plane ticket to Charlottesville earlier this year. Once she arrived, the victim told police that Dennis sexually assaulted her. While investigating her claim, police found 20 pictures of child pornography on Dennis’ computer.
In July, Dennis pleaded guilty to the child pornography charges and entered an Alford plea on the other charges. The plea meant that Dennis did not admit guilt but acknowledged that the commonwealth’s attorney had enough evidence to convict him.
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