Former Sioux Falls Fire Rescue chief Jim Sideras will not spend time in prison after being sentenced for child pornography possession Thursday.

Sideras was given a suspended six-year sentence and six years probation. He was also given a sentence of 180 days in county jail with 80 days suspended. He is eligible for electronic monitoring and may not spend time behind bars if that is approved. The penitentiary time is suspended as long as he follows conditions of probation for six years. He must register as a sex offender.

Sideras, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of possession, distribution or manufacturing of child pornography in November 2018. Possession of child pornography is a class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary.

Judge Robin Houwman spoke at length about the various factors she considered in handing down the sentence, including Sideras' background and temperament. She pointed toward childhood trauma that may have triggered the behavior, something noted in Sideras' psycho-sexual evaluation. The judge added that this case could let other "silent victims" of childhood abuse know it's OK to come forward.

Had Sideras gotten professional help when these childhood flashbacks started, it's unlikely he would have ended up in the defendant's chair, Houwman said.

She also noted that Sideras is a good candidate for outpatient treatment.

"There's no question that he has expressed remorse for his actions," Houwman said.

Sideras also addressed the court ahead of his sentence.

"I take full responsibility for my actions. ... I admit I am guilty," Sideras said. "I did open a file that was sent to me. I only opened files that were sent to me. At the time, I was too embarrassed and wasn't brave enough to accept help from a local therapist."

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Sideras looked toward the desk he was seated at most of the sentencing. He occasionally glanced toward prosecutors when they listed their facts of the case, including when Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan listed names of themes Sideras supposedly searched for in chat rooms and said Sideras used chat rooms and messaging services for sexual gratification.

Sideras was charged with 10 counts of possession, distribution or manufacturing of child pornography. Nine counts were dismissed as part of the plea deal. The deal was open, meaning the court had discretion to sentence suspended time or up to the maximum time.

He was charged in May 2017, just weeks shy of his retirement from a decades-long career as a firefighter and six-year stint as the city's fire chief. His 30-plus years of public service played a role in his sentence. His defense attorney, Leo Flynn, focused on Sideras' time as a nurse, firefighter, Army National Guardsman and public service since his arrest.

"I don't think (Sideras) is a danger to anybody," Flynn said. "Let's not define a man for the rest of his life by what he did for a short period of his life. Incarceration doesn't make sense."

Flynn also keyed in on results of a psycho-sexual evaluation, a task required when a defendant pleads guilty or is convicted of a sex crime. The doctor who performed the evaluation, he said, didn't recommend prison time, but recommended at least a year of one-on-one treatment and monitoring. The evaluation is not available to the public.

Flynn and Sideras had attempted to bring in third-party evidence that a begrudged former coworker had hacked Sideras' computers and planted pornographic images. Flynn said he had "never felt more confident" going into a criminal jury trial with that evidence and reasonable doubt.

Sideras wanted to take a plea because he felt responsible, Flynn said.

Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan said he appreciated Sideras' comment of taking responsibility, but said Sideras was minimizing his participation.

"There seems to be two different Jim Siderases," McGowan said.

McGowan said a detective working on the case estimated about 100 images were found throughout the course of the investigation. Houwman in her sentencing said that was the first time she had been told that number.

The investigation found incest-related themes in chat rooms, McGowan said in court. While Sideras had never solicited a minor for sex, the contents of the searches were concerning, McGowan said. Sideras turned to the chat room venues, which are not illegal, as a therapeutic method to address suppressed childhood trauma, Houwman said, but that involvement led him to people who sent him images.

McGowan also pointed to childhood trauma, but said the chat rooms were more for sexual gratification than self-therapy.

Sideras was inconsistent with admitting whether he saw the images, McGowan said. Sideras said he "may" have seen images. But McGowan said, with his experience prosecuting these cases, that images of child pornography are not easily forgotten, and acknowledged the suffering of victims of child pornography.

McGowan alluded to Sideras' prominent role in the community.

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"In the time the defendant was in a position of protecting people, he was involved in criminal activity," McGowan said.

Prosecution did not request a certain amount of penitentiary time, but deferred to the court. A few people sitting in the gallery scoffed at this comment, and one person left the courtroom upset.

Houwman spent quite a bit of time explaining criteria for sentencing, explaining that she takes into consideration who the defendant is as a person, criminal history, likelihood to reoffend and susceptibility to rehabilitation.

She noted that she has presided over thousands of cases involving sex crimes or child pornography, and said this case falls at the low end of the spectrum.

"This case has received no special treatment," Houwman said.

Sideras' charge stemmed from a Massachusetts internet crimes investigation. Authorities alerted South Dakota law enforcement of an email address flagged in the investigation. The email address, sandilikestoplay10@yahoo.com, was eventually linked to Sideras using IP addresses.

Sideras pleaded guilty to count six of the 10-count indictment, which is tied to a single image found in a search of a Samsung laptop in May 2017. Authorities found a website and a Yahoo chat, where an image of a female between the ages of 11-13 was found. The other charges were tied to images found in a Yahoo chatroom and the laptop.

Sideras must report to jail by March 14. He is eligible for electronic monitoring but must have a job for that to take place.

Follow reporter Danielle Ferguson on Twitter at @DaniFergs.