A Dauphin County judge this afternoon sentenced Alan Berlin, a one-time aide to two state senators, to 6 to 12 years in state prison for his convictions of trying to arrange a sexual tryst with a teenage boy via the Internet.

President Judge Todd A. Hoover imposed the penalty after Berlin, 43, of North Middleton Township, Cumberland County, repeated his claim that he did not realize he was dealing with a minor.

Hoover countered that Berlin is lying because it is evident from the sado-masochistic Instant Messaging chats between Berlin and the boy that Berlin had to know he was chatting with a juvenile.

A county jury in March convicted Berlin of unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a communications facility. He was accused of using a series of online conversations in 2009 to try to arrange to have sex with the autistic 15-year-old in a shed in the back yard of the boy's Lower Paxton Township home.

Berlin claimed during the trial that he is a "furry," someone who takes on an animal persona, in his case a panda, to act out fantasies.

During today's sentencing hearing, he told Hoover he would have broken off the chats immediately had he known he was actually dealing with a teenager, and not another adult furry who was pretending to be a juvenile dolphin.

Berlin told Hoover he has given up his furry role-play. "I eschew the fantasy world," he said,

Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Sprow insisted that Berlin not only is lying about not knowing that he was dealing with a teen, but still is trying to throw the blame onto the boy. Sprow called the sentence Hoover imposed "appropriate."

Defense attorney William T. Tully said he will discuss the possibility of an appeal with Berlin.

Hoover ordered Berlin to serve 8 years on probation after completing his prison sentence and to register with police for life as a sex offender. The judge told Berlin he must begin his sentence on June 8.

Berlin's arrest in the case wrecked an 18-year political career during which he served as an aide to former state Sen. Hal Mowery, R-Cumberland County, and ex-Sen. Jane Orie, R-Allegheny County.