Man sentenced to prison for making, possessing child porn

LACONIA — A local man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to making and possessing child pornography.

Arthur Roberts, 50, of Manchester Street, in Laconia, pleaded guilty Monday in Belknap Superior Court to a charge of manufacture of a child sex abuse image, and possession of a child sex abuse image.

Roberts admitted to taking a photograph on Dec. 20, 2015, showing the genitals of a girl who was 17 years old at the time.

State law considers such images of anyone under age 18 to be child pornography.

Judge James D. O’Neill III sentenced Roberts to five to 10 years in prison on the manufacture charge. The judge also ordered him to go through the sex offender treatment program at the prison, take part in other counseling, treatment and education programs recommended by corrections officials, and barred him from having any contact with the victim.

On the child pornography possession charge, O’Neill sentenced Roberts to a six- to 12-year sentence, with the time suspended on condition of seven years good behavior. The suspended sentence will commence once Roberts is released from his prison sentence.

According to Belknap County Attorney Andrew Livernois, Roberts admitted to taking the photographs while Laconia police were investigating him in connection with allegations of other crimes.

As part of the plea agreement with Roberts, the Belknap County Attorney’s Office dropped nine other counts of possession of child sex abuse images, plus a charge of engaging in repeated aggravated felonious sexual assault, another charge of manufacture of a child sex abuse image, and a charge of prostitution.