Nov 5, 2015 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – A 25-year-old Dilliner man who pleaded guilty to having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl he contacted through Facebook was sentenced last week to two to 23 ½ months in jail.

Joshua Wayne Porterfield of 558 State Route 2011 solicited sex and exchanged sexually explicit photographs with two minors online between Aug. 13 and Sept. 26, 2014, according to court documents.

After serving at least two months of his jail sentence, Porterfield could be released to house arrest for the remainder of the 23 ½ months and then serve 60 ½ months on probation, according to Greene County President Judge Farley Toothman’s order.

Porterfield was arrested last November after an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Child Predator Section, local police and an administrator at one of the girl’s high school.

A high school administrator contacted local police after Porterfield communicated with a student through Facebook and sent the minor a nude image of himself via the social networking app Snapchat.

The girl had saved a screen capture of the image. CPS agents were able to identify other potential victims through an analysis of mutual Facebook connections with Porterfield.

Agents obtained a search warrant for Porterfield’s Facebook account and found more than 1,000 deleted, private messages between Porterfield and a second minor.

The second victim was contacted and told agents Porterfield picked her up in September, knowing she was 15, and drove her to another location where the two engaged in sex acts in Porterfield’s vehicle. The child reported three similar incidents in the weeks that followed, including one encounter where Porterfield took her to his Dilliner home.

The case was prosecuted by the attorney general’s office.

Porterfield pleaded guilty June 11 to two counts each of criminal use of a communications facility and unlawful contact with a minor and three counts each of indecent assault, corruption of minors, aggravated indecent assault and statutory sexual assault

Three counts each of unlawful sexual contact with a minor and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, were withdrawn by prosecutors.

Toothman cited a mitigating circumstance he took into consideration for sentencing. He noted Porterfield was “genuinely remorseful” and said that neither of the victims or their families had submitted statements in regard to sentencing. The judge also noted Porterfield had neither used nor threatened physical harm to his victims, has no prior criminal record and had cooperated with investigators.

More than 20 of Porterfield’s friends and neighbors, his pastor, members of his congregation and two former teachers made statements on his good reputation and character, Toothman said.

Porterfield also has participated in treatment recommended by a mental health assessment. Though he was not determined to be a sexual predator by the sexual offender’s assessment board, Porterfield is required to register with state police for life, Toothman said.