WARSAW — A Tennessee man was sentenced today to five years at the Indiana Department of Corrections and four years of probation after targeting five different Warsaw girls online.

Adam Lee Morton

According to an affidavit of probable cause, on March 10, 2015, a Warsaw police officer spoke with a staff member from the Warsaw Community Schools corporation concerning four freshman girls and one middle school girl, who were communicating with someone they thought to be a 19-year-old boy named Josh Black and Rob White both from Tennessee, but in reality ended up being one man, Adam Lee Morton, 36, 928 E. Northfield Blvd., Murfreesboro, Tenn.

He spoke with all five girls over Facebook, saying he targeted them randomly. Morton exchanged photos with the girls and participated in “cyber sex.” On March 13, 2015, a Warsaw police officer was given access to all five of the girls’ Facebook accounts and began talking to Morton [Black and White], where Morton continued having “cybersex” thinking Foreman was one of the girls he was “dating.”

Morton pled guilty to two counts of child solicitation, level 6 felonies; possession of child pornography, a level 6 felony; and two counts of dissemination of matter harmful to minors, both level 6 felonies this morning, Oct. 20 in court.

Morton took the stand to testify, stating that the actions were meant to merely “harass” and he never intended to travel to Warsaw to interact with the girls.

“I plan to live my life as a better Christian and live in a more conservative way,” said Morton.

Deputy Prosecutor Karen McGrath took the stand and argued in defense of the victims.

“Multiple young girls were victimized by Mr. Morton. Five girls,” said McGrath. “These girls will bear the scars of this behavior for the rest of their lives. The damage is done.”

Judge David Cates replied, “This appears to me to be a cautionary tale. This isn’t the fault of any of these girls. I have an adult in front of me who has admitted the fault.”

Judge Cates sentenced Morton to nine years served consecutively at the Indiana Department of Corrections, with the last four years suspended on probation. Morton will attend sex offender counseling and register as a sex offender.