A former Columbia resident and past member of the U.S. Navy Reserves was sentenced Monday to nine years in federal prison on child porn charges.

Neil E. Purdy, 30, entered a guilty plea earlier this year to receiving and possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

His prison sentences are to run concurrently on the charges, to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release on each count, also to run concurrently.

Purdy was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine on each count and a $200 special assessment. He must register as a sex offender as a condition of his supervised release.

The investigation began Feb. 7, 2012, when an individual contacted Columbia police to report that Purdy molested their 14-year-old girl. They also told police they saw Purdy “Google” the phrase “Where can I find really young porn?”

This person said that when they asked Purdy how long he had this problem, Purdy responded “about three years,” according to court information.

On Feb. 16, 2012, Purdy admitted to Columbia police he molested the 14-year-old.

When questioned about searching for or possessing child porn, Purdy admitted he possessed videos and images on his laptop computer. A forensic review of Purdy’s laptop revealed 20 videos and seven images of minors engaged in sexually explicit behavior.

Police said the videos and images were mostly of girls between the ages of 4 and 13 years old.

In March 2013, Purdy was sentenced in Monroe County court to 180 days in county jail with credit for time served, placed on probation for 30 months and fined $270 plus fees for felony criminal sexual abuse.

There was evidence introduced at Purdy’s sentencing that he was trying to receive administrative leave from the Navy Reserves before they discovered the criminal charges so he could avoid a dishonorable discharge.