Oakwood man gets prison time for child porn

GAINESVILLE - An Oakwood man has been sent to prison for possession of child pornography.

Paul Jay Pettit, Jr. entered a guilty plea last month and has now been given a sentence of 40 years, Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh said Saturday. Pettit was ordered to serve the first 12 years of his sentence behind bars and the rest on probation. Darragh said a violation of probation from a 2005 conviction in Houston County is what led authorities to Pettit again.

"[That happened] after the defendant had been actively involved in online chats and had posted his information on Match.com," Darragh said.

More than 40 images were found in Pettit's possession, and Darragh says all of the children in the photos were under 10 years old.

"Some [were] as young as toddlers," Darragh said.