A Dawson County man will spend the next eight years in prison for possessing child pornography.

Jody Lee Chadwick, 37, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of sexual exploitation of children last week in Dawson County Superior Court.

He was one of more than two dozen men arrested in a March 2009 statewide child pornography sweep by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

According to authorities, videos and still images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct were found on the computer in Chadwick’s western Dawson County home.

Dawson County Sheriff’s Maj. John Cagle said many of those arrested were the result of Internet service providers reporting child pornography to the task force.

The sentence handed down by Judge Jason Deal includes 52 years on probation.

Chadwick must also register as a sex offender and pay a $10,000 fine.

Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh was satisfied with the outcome.

“This case is a result of a lot of hard and difficult work by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation,” Darragh said. “I’m pleased with Judge Deal’s sentence and believe it will in fact protect the citizens of Dawson County.”