A Butler man who used the Butler Area Public Library's internet service to view, download and upload child pornography on his cell phone in 2019, was deemed a sexual offender and sentenced Thursday to prison, but given an immediate parole.

Adam Timothy Groshong, 46, was sentenced in Butler County Common Pleas Court to serve 18 to 36 months in prison followed by 48 months of probation. Judge Timothy F. McCune gave him credit for 642 days already served in prison, and said he can be immediately paroled.

McCune said Groshong was found to be a Tier 1 offender under Megan’s Law. That designation requires him to register with state police for 15 years. He has to report his address, vehicle ownership, employment, phone number, internet identification and other information to police.

Groshong pleaded guilty to a felony count of dissemination of photos of child sex acts. State police filed six felony charges against Groshong in December 2019 following the incident, which occurred Nov. 5, 2018.

Police began tracking Groshong through a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by way of Google.

The tech giant provided information on Groshong through the center's Cyber Tipline.

Google flagged Groshong's use of his Gmail account, a Google-made email service.

“Google reported 175 uploaded images and/or videos of (child pornography), which depict prepubescent males and females in the state of nudity, exposing their genitals and some being sexually assaulted,” according to the complaint police filed.

Police matched the IP address in Google's report to the library and confirmed with its administrators that Groshong has an account with the library with information matching the flagged Gmail account.

Petrolia case

In unrelated case, a Petrolia man, who is a Tier 3 Megan’s Law offender, was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of corruption of minors.

Gregory Ford Wilson, 71, of Petrolia was sentenced to serve 60 months of probation and attend sexual offender treatment ordered by the probation office.

State police filed four misdemeanor charges and one felony charge against Wilson in April 2020 following an incident July 23, 2015.

Police said the juvenile female victim came forward in late 2018, accusing Wilson of touching her chest when she was 6 or 7 years old in his home.

He has been registering as a Tier 3 offender since March 31, 2016. He pleaded guilty to indecent assault in December 2015 for an offense that took place in July 2015. That incident involved an 8-year-old female victim.