HOLLAND — A local man has been sentenced to decades in prison after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse.
Jonathon Burgett, 37, of Holland, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the exploitation of a child, according to federal attorneys. When he gets out, Burgett will be on supervised release for five years.
More:Holland man pleads guilty to producing child porn
In September 2021, a woman alleged in a criminal complaint that she caught Burgett holding his cellphone camera up to a window in her residence hall room while she changed her clothes. When investigators searched his phone, they found more than 200 images of child pornography.
Later, when questioned about the images, Burgett allegedly admitted to creating at least some of the child porn, according to court documents.
Burgett was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography, and faced additional penalties for committing the acts as a registered sex offender.
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Burgett pleaded guilty in August to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor. He admitted to sexually abusing a young girl and taking photos of the abuse the year before. Other charges against Burgett were dropped, including possession of child porn, in exchange for the guilty plea.
The sentencing judge said Burgett “engaged in conduct that will, for a lifetime, severely impact” the victim. She also noted that he had “a long history” of similar offenses and that “this was an addiction” for him.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland man sentenced to three decades in prison for child sexual abuse