Timothy K. Wright, 45, of New Carlisle was to be sentenced in Dayton’s U.S. District Court, but his appearance was changed on the docket to a “sentencing hearing” in which Dr. Anthony Byrd testified by telephone.
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U.S. District Court Judge Walter Rice cited a lack of phone clarity, the fact Byrd forgot about the hearing, didn’t appear in person and that the judge said the witness was not prepared to testify about specifics.
Rice said the testimony would be suspended until a time in which Byrd could be better prepared and attend in person. Rice admonished Byrdfor not apologizing and said it was “not fair to the defendant who is facing a significant prison sentence.”
Wright faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years, according to court documents. In April, Wright pleaded guilty to two child pornography counts and was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation.
Byrd, who has worked at the Dayton VA for 26 years, said testing showed that Wright tried to suppress negative aspects of his personality.
Wright has been in Montgomery County Jail since April 24.
Between June 30, 2013 and July 24, 2015, Wright had more than 700 images on his cell phone or computer that “contained visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct,” according to the case’s statement of facts.
Wright had at least 23 images of child pornography in his Twitter account, and had traded at least six photos with other users, according to court records. In July 2015, federal agents seized his electronics.
Wright, who served prison time in the 1990s for a case in Greene County, was a volunteer football coach for the Park Layne Wee Arrows youth football organization.
As a non-profit, the group was not required to do background checks on coaches but has started to do them after this incident.
Wright was sent to prison in 1996 for three years after being convicted of a similar offense involving a minor in nudity material.
Federal court documents also indicate Wright had a 2011 conviction for loitering for prostitution and the judge ruled he should remain in jail because there could be small children in his residence depending on his living arrangement.
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