Photo by Janelle Patterson Dakota Hines, right, consults with his attorney Rolf Baumgartel at his sentencing in Washington County Common Pleas Court Thursday.

MARIETTA — A Lower Salem man who recorded sex with a minor on his phone last year was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday in Washington County Common Pleas Court.

Dakota Hines, 26, of 37331 Harriettsville Road, Lower Salem, was indicted in December for pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor, a second-degree felony, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance, a second-degree felony, and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a fourth-degree felony but later pleaded the case down to just the pandering charge.

Though Hines did not make a statement in court Thursday his attorney, Rolf Baumgartel, spoke on his behalf.

“The video was made in private with no intention for that media to be shared outside of my client and his girlfriend,” said Baumgartel.

Hines was arrested Sept. 13 at the Super 8 Motel in Marietta on suspicion of other crimes. But upon review of his cell phone officers located a video of sexual activity with a minor female dated from late June 2016. The girl was 15 at the time.

“The victim is still a minor but she wasn’t forced,” said Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings.

Hines will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender when released from prison, but the prosecution said they would not be opposed to an early release after 18 months pending the good behavior of Hines while imprisoned.

“But understand that if you misbehave in any way then the court does not have to grant you an early release,” Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi noted when explaining the sentence to Hines in court Thursday.

Hines will also be on parole for five years after being released from prison and required to register his place of employment and/or education.

The maximum sentence Hines could have received was eight years in prison.