NEBRASKA CITY - Robert Chatterton, 35, of Syracuse was sentenced to five to 12 years in prison for attempted exchange of pornographic material involving children.

Otoe County Attorney Jennifer Panko-Rahe told Judge Julie Smith that chat room recordings include an image provider asking for a preferred age range. She says Chatterton responded the ages of six to nine.

Panko-Rahe: “This is not an error event while exchanging videos.”

A defense attorney said a “pattern of behavior” is not evident. Chatterton told police he was looking for adult images and other images showed up on his phone.

Panko-Rahe: “These are disturbing images of very young children. …For the sake of the victims probation is not appropriate.”


Judge Smith said intoxication is not a defense against the charges.

Smith: “These are real people in the material. It is real children that are being victimized.

“Even though you are not directly sexually assaulting a child you are providing a market for these materials.”

Chatterton will be eligible for parole in 2.5 years, minus 135 days already served.