Castalia man sentenced for child pornography

SANDUSKY — A Castalia man was recently sentenced after previously pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. At a court hearing on April 10, Nicholas Hamilton, 29, 6600 block Billings Road, was convicted on three counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person, each a fourth-degree felony, after pleading guilty to those charges at a court hearing on Jan. 27. Hamilton had pleaded guilty to the three charges in exchange for the dismissal of seven additional counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor or impaired person and one count of failure to register, a third-degree felony. Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Roger Binette sentenced Hamilton to serve three years in prison. Hamilton received a credit of five days served in jail, according to court records. Under the terms of his sentencing, Hamilton is classified as a Tier 3 sex offender, which means that he must verify home and work addresses every 90 days for life. Hamilton will additionally be placed on a mandatory term of five years post-release control and ordered to pay $3,000 in fines, according to court records. Hamilton was indicted in September 2024 by an Erie County grand jury. The crimes occurred on or about Nov. 6, 2023, when Hamilton knowingly downloaded obscene material that depicted children "as one of its participants."