HAMILTON — A Hamilton man who had programmed computers for a living now faces up to 16 years in prison for using his computer to store child pornography and contact minors about sex.

        George Edward Gann, 30, was convicted of nine charges Wednesday in Butler County Common Pleas Court following a two-day trial before Judge H.J. Bressler.

        Although he acquitted Mr. Gann on eight other charges involving photographs that didn't meet legal criteria, the judge , told Mr. Gann, “That doesn't mean we find those displays acceptable.”

        Mr. Gann was taken to jail to await sentencing April 12.

        Spectators on Wednesday included Mr. Gann's mother, who declined to comment, and about eight members of Citizens for Community Values, a Cincinnati-based anti-smut group.

        Phil Burress, president of the group, said the case is a significant local example of a national problem.

        “The thing about the Internet is, the young people think it's all about fantasy and playing games — but it's serious. These young people don't know what they're getting into,” he said.

        Judge Bressler said he was convinced that evidence showed Mr. Gann used Internet chat rooms to contact young girls “to see if he could entice a young woman to engage in sexual conduct.”

        The judge said he read hundreds of pages of explicit exchanges between Mr. Gann and young girls.

        The charges of which Mr. Gann was convicted involved several unidentified minors in photographs and his contacts with four identified teen girls from the Dayton, Lebanon and Hamilton areas.

        Mr. Gann originally was charged with 12 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, two counts of attempted sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of compelling prostitution and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

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