An Akron man, arrested for sending sexually explicit photos to an undercover police officer, told a Lancaster County judge he has learned his lesson.

After spending 15 months in prison, Christopher L. Hassler told Judge Louis J. Farina on Wednesday, he knows he made "a mistake."

But Farina told Hassler, 25, of North Tenth Street, that it was more than a mistake.

"What you did was wrong, very wrong," Farina said. "And you knew what you were doing was wrong."

Hassler, who pleaded guilty earlier, was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison followed by 5 years' probation.

Farina said Hassler would be released from prison because he already has served more than the minimum sentence.

Agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit arrested Hassler in May 2009.

Prosecutors said Hassler used an online chat room to approach an undercover agent who was pretending to be a 13-year-old girl.

According to a criminal complaint, Hassler sent the agent several nude pictures of himself along with a nude photo of a woman he claimed was his girlfriend.

Hassler pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse of children (although there was no physical contact with children), three counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count of criminal use of a computer.

Farina noted that a psychiatric evaluation determined Hassler is not a sexually violent predator. Had the evaluation concluded otherwise, Farina noted, "you'd be going to state prison."

Defense attorney Daniel Kaye said his client has no prior record, worked full time since graduating high school and plans to live with his family.

Hassler was "totally cooperative" with investigators and was remorseful for his actions, Kaye said.

In addition to the prison time and probation, Hassler must abide by the conditions of Megan's Law.

jkelley@lnpnews.com