Staff photo / Chris McBride Geoffrey Parker, 34, left, appears before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald Rice in court Tuesday where he was sentenced to 24 to 28 years in prison. Parker was charged with several child exploitation charges that include eight felonies.

WARREN — A Mineral Ridge resident and former Akron police officer was sentenced to 24 to 28 years Tuesday after pleading guilty to eight felonies.

The charges against Geoffrey Parker, 34, include three counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, three counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, one count of gross sexual imposition and one count of pandering obscenity involving a minor.

He faced a potential sentence of 61 to 65 years.

The sentence was handed down by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice stems from Parker’s arrest following an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The probe revealed Parker’s crimes included the exploitation of minors, the possession and distribution of illicit images, and abuse involving his own children.

A nude photo of a 4-year-old girl, traced to an online chatroom in August, was linked to Parker, who also took explicit images of himself with young children.

During the sentencing, Rice condemned Parker’s actions, stating, “You will never see your kids again, and you are losing your freedom. You are the reason our society has laws for registered sex offenders.”

Parker was designated a Tier 2 sex offender and will be required to register with his local sheriff’s office biannually for 25 years upon release. Parker spoke briefly telling the court he will regret what he did “every day.”

Assistant prosecutor Gabriel Wildman described Parker as “a liar, a pedophile, a predator and now a prisoner.”

“I think you know he’s going to be spending the next 24 years in prison, and I think he can’t hurt any kids during that time, so that’s a good deal,” Wildman said.

Wildman highlighted the nature of Parker’s crimes, stating that his position as a police officer held him to a higher standard: “When those who are sworn to protect people hurt people, there needs to be a penalty paid. In this case, it’s 24 to 28 years.”

Wildman detailed the clear evidence uncovered.

“At the time of his arrest, he tried to minimize this, saying we wouldn’t find additional child abuse material on his phone. We found clear, convincing evidence beyond any doubt that he was abusing a 5-month-old,” Wildman said.

Wildman criticized Parker’s wife’s plea for leniency during the sentencing hearing and her claims that therapy and probation would suffice, questioning her ability to protect the children.

“She has the right to be heard, but that doesn’t mean the court has to adopt everything she says. I think her request demeans the seriousness of the offenses committed,” Wildman said. “Judge Rice did that for her today, imposing a sentence that ensures the children are protected from him for at least the next 24 years.”

The investigation revealed Parker’s involvement in sharing and creating illegal materials through online chatrooms and apps, as well as direct abuse of his children.