By Linda Cicoira

An Onley man who described himself on websites as a “Nanu fanatic,” meaning an extreme fan of little girls, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in Accomack District Court on Thursday for purchasing and soliciting child pornography from a 13-year-old girl last year.

Justin Travis Sokaitis, 35, of West Main Street, was sentenced to five years in prison for each of three counts of possession of child pornography, with all but 18 months of the sentence suspended. He was also sentenced to five years in prison, with all but six months of the sentence suspended, for making the girl the subject of pornography. He was also sentenced to five years in prison, with all but six months of the sentence suspended, for using an electronic device to induce a child under the age of 15 to engage in sexual intercourse. The crimes occurred between January and September 2023.

Sokaitis apologized and said he takes responsibility for his actions. He has been in prison for a year, which will count toward his sentence. After his release, he will be on probation for five years and on good behavior for 20 years. The defendant must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and continue treatment.

A settlement the court accepted in April required Sokaitis to serve the middle sentence, which was then set at four years and four months, but the sentence was shorter, at three to six months.

After hearing arguments from both sides, retired Judge W. Revell Lewis III was inclined to accept the result of the pre-sentence and psychosexual examination, which carried a maximum sentence of 60 years for the crimes.

During the trial, Assistant District Attorney William Fox said police in Tampa, Florida, contacted local authorities about an Internet user. When officers visited the Sokaitis home, the defendant confessed and handed over his cellphone and computer.

Evidence showed that Sokaitis knew the victim’s age. He offered her a car for her services and she replied that she was 13. He then offered her $10,000 or whatever she wanted. At a bail hearing, Fox said that illegal images dating back to 2007 were found on the man’s computer.

“He is at above average risk of re-offending,” Fox said. He has a history of physical altercations in his youth and refused to speak to the doctor and a probation officer who tried to help him…This was a real victim. A real 13-year-old victim…the state is very concerned. This is something we will never take lightly,” Fox said.