A Russell sex offender is headed to state prison after probation officers busted him with child pornography.

Teddy W. L. Bair, 23, was sentenced by Judge Gregory Hammond Friday on a count of criminal use of a communication facility. A count of child pornography was not prosecuted by the Commonwealth in exchange for the plea.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed in February, a probation officer conducting a probation meeting with Bair in late January asked to check his phone for anything that would violate his probation.

“Numerous pornographic images were extracted from the defendant’s cell phone to include several photographs that appeared to be of females under the age of 18,” according to the affidavit.

Hammond said he has a “huge concern about you in the community” and said that his diagnosis is no excuse or justification.

Hammond then sentenced Bair to 12 to 60 months of incarceration in state prison consecutive to his current probation violation sentence.

See Saturday’s Times Observer for a full story.