A 35-year-old Springfield man was sentenced Wednesday, Nov. 26, to three years of probation after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse and one count of first-degree invasion of personal privacy.

Zachary Ryan Freeman on Wednesday pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with prosecutors. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office arrested Freeman on Oct. 15 after searching a residence, the sheriff’s office said previously.

“Mr. Freeman took accountability with law enforcement officers upon his initial arrest, and he did not wish to draw the case out in the legal process,” Lane County District Attorney Christopher Parosa said in an email Monday, Dec. 1.

As part of the plea deal, Freeman avoids prison but “stipulated, as part of the negotiations, that if he is later deemed to have violated his probation that he will be sentenced to 46 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections,” Parosa said. Freeman must also register as a sex offender.

First-degree encouraging child sex abuse involves “unlawfully and knowingly possess[ing] a photograph or visual recording of sexually explicit conduct involving a child with the intent to disseminate or duplicate,” according to court documents.

As part of the plea agreement, three counts of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse were dismissed.

Regarding the invasion of privacy charge, a visual recording was “captured in a private setting and with a person known to Freeman,” Parosa said.

“That act was separate and completely unrelated to the Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree charges in the case,” Parosa said, adding that he had no additional comment about the charge out of respect for the victim’s privacy.