A Dowagiac man whose attorney said was “struggling with the monster inside himself,” will return to prison for possessing child pornography.

Judge Michael Dodge sentenced 22-year-old Adam Tyler Lee to a minimum of two years to a maximum of seven years in prison during his sentencing hearing Friday in Cass County Court, on charges of possession of sexually abusive material of a minor, using a computer to commit a crime and failure to register as sex offender. Lee pleaded guilty to the counts during an appearance in court
July 18.

According to the judge, Lee failed to abide by the conditions of the sex offender registration act, which he was required to comply with following a conviction for second-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2011. The violation occurred when police discovered that the man was in possession of a cell phone that he did not register with authorities, Dodge said.

“To make matters worse, you were using that cell phone to access child pornography sites,” the judge said.

Lee committed the offenses while on parole for the prior criminal sexual conduct charge, released from prison just 45 days prior to his arrest in April, Dodge said. He had been sentenced to a 2.5-year prison sentence in 2014 after he violated the terms of his probation for the 2011 offense.

Given the fact that Lee has failed on multiple occasions to restrain his sexual misconduct, Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz requested that the judge sentence the defendant to prison, saying that the public needed to be protected from his behavior. Fitz also pointed out that, at 22, the Dowagiac man will have plenty of time to get his life back on track following his release, he said.

“This may sound old-fashioned, but he needs to concentrate on a moral and righteous lifestyle,” Fitz said.

Lee’s attorney, Robert Drake, defended his client from accusations that he had not attempted to curtail his sexual misconduct, saying that in spite of the fact he was a registered sex offender he had managed to secure employment following his release from prison.

The judge ultimately decided that a prison sentence was warranted in this case, though he deviated below the three-year minimum recommended by the state.

“Engaging in this type of behavior, shortly after being released on parole for criminal sexual activity, does in fact warrant a prison sentence,” Dodge said.

Due to the fact he violated parole, Lee was not given credit for any time already served. His sentence will also be executed consecutive to parole.