WARSAW — Timothy L. Pratt, Syracuse, was sentenced today, Aug. 17, in the Kosciusko County Superior 1 Court, on charges of child exploitation. Judge David Cates was presiding.

Pratt was arrested in March after his wife discovered he had been sexting naked pictures back and forth with a minor female.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on March 25, officers with the Syracuse Police Department responded to a report of a suicidal subject. Pratt’s wife advised that she had located child pornography on his cell phone and that he had been threatening to commit suicide. Pratt denied that he was going to commit suicide.

Pratt and an underaged female had sent multiple nude pictures to each other. Pratt told the minor he wanted to do sexual things to her and requested more photos. At one point, Pratt asked how old the female was. When the female responded with her illegal age, he asked her to send another naked photograph.

During the sentencing, Pratt’s attorney, John Barrett, informed the court that Pratt had “a pretty serious substance abuse problem at that time,” involving alcohol and Xanax, which was likely a contributing factor to this “terrible decision.” Barrett also pointed out Pratt’s lack of criminal history and stated that Pratt had been cooperative with police, agreeing to give up his phone, computers and all electronic devices.

Pratt spoke then, apologizing to his wife and children. He then addressed Cates, stating, “I would like to apologize first and foremost to my wife and my children, to the prosecutor and to this court. If you take a chance on me, nothing like this will ever happen again. Words cannot express how sorry I am.”

“I give you credit for being cooperative, and it appears you have no criminal history,” Cates responded, before continuing, “Substance abuse doesn’t justify victimization of a child.”

“You’re asking me to put your family foremost in my thoughts when you didn’t choose to put your family first and foremost,” Cates told Pratt.

Pratt was found guilty of count I child exploitation, a level 5 felony, and sentenced to four years at the Indiana Department of Corrections, with one year suspended to be served on probation. Pratt will be required to maintain employment, pay all court fees and register as a sex offender. He was given jail time credit of three days.