Sokaitis gets 3.5 years for child porn and soliciting a young girl

By Linda Cicoira

An Onley man who used the screen name ‘nanu fanatic’ who is an extreme fan of small girls, was sentenced to 3.5 years of active time in prison Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court for buying and soliciting child pornography from a 13-year-old last year.

Thirty-five-year-old Justin Travis Sokaitis, of West Main Street, was sentenced to five years each for three counts of possessing child pornography with all but 18 months suspended, five years with all but six months suspended for causing the girl to be the subject of pornography, and five years with four years suspended for using an electronic device to solicit sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 15. The crimes occurred between January and September of 2023.

Sokaitis apologized and said he takes responsibility for his actions. He has been in jail for a year, which will count towards his sentence. Upon release, he will be on supervised probation for five years and good behavior for 20 years. The defendant will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and to continue treatment.

A plea agreement accepted by the court in April called for Sokaitis to serve the midpoint of the guidelines, which at that time was thought to be four years and four months. However, the guidelines came in lower, from three to six months.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Retired Judge W. Revell Lewis III leaned toward accepting what was initially thought to result from the presentence and psychosexual evaluation. The maximum time for the crimes was 60 years.

At trial, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney William Fox said police in Tampa, Fla., contacted local authorities about an internet user. When deputies went to the Sokaitis home, the defendant confessed and turned over his cell phone and computer.

Evidence showed Sokaitis knew the victim’s age. He offered her a car for her services and she answered by telling him she was 13 years old. He then offered $10,000 or whatever she wanted. At a bond hearing, Fox said illegal images were found on the man’s computer dating back to 2007.

“He is at above average risk to re-offend,” Fox said. He has a history of physical fights when he was younger and declined to speak to” the doctor and a probation officer who “were trying to help him … This was a real victim. A real 13-year-old victim … the commonwealth is very concerned. This is something we will never take lightly,” Fox said.