WASHINGTON, D.C. (WRIC) — A California man caught in a cross-country undercover child porn sting has been sentenced to over 11 years in prison, after asking the court to consider that a cannabis addiction could have caused his offense.
The Facts
As part of his plea deal, Jacob Dockter, 28, of Taft, California, admitted that in May 2020, on an internet chatroom dedicated to child pornography, he sent multiple pieces of child porn to an undercover agent which he had apparently produced himself.
FBI agents immediately subpoenaed Kik, the messaging app Dockter was using, and uncovered his address. That same day, agents raided Dockter’s home, seizing a phone that contained the images, which Dockter had attempted to delete.
Agents also identified one of the rooms in Dockter’s house as the background for the images Dockter sent to the undercover agent. Dockter’s victim was two years old at the time of the offense.
Assigning Responsibility
When it came time for Dockter to be sentenced, he and the prosecution presented wildly divergent views of his defenses.
The prosecution called for him to be sentenced to 15 years in prison, writing, “This offender not only distributed child sexual abuse material, but he in fact created such material… A sentence of 180 months’ incarceration reflects the severity of the defendant’s offense.”
Dockter, on the other hand, requested a sentence of just 5 years, writing that he was “a good man who did a horrible thing.”
In a letter hand-written on prison stationary, Dockter told his own version of the story, claiming that the “terrible situation got started” when an acquaintance invited him to a threesome. A third party, he wrote, then asked if he was into “CP.” though he blocked that person, he wrote that “some part of him” was interested, so he sought out the forum where he was eventually caught.
He added that he was thankful he was caught by an undercover officer and that the images would not actually be circulated among other offenders.
“I wish that I could go back and undo what I’ve done, but I know that I can’t,” he wrote.
Weighing Addiction
His sentencing memorandum also offered an alternative explanation for his behavior: cannabis addiction.
Dockter was evaluated by a clinical psychologist, Dr. Allison Schechter, who diagnosed him with “Cannabis Use Disorder,” noting that he had used marijuana daily since he was 16.
“His Cannabis Use Disorder contributed significantly to his lack of ambition and motivation to obtain and keep consistent employment, which led to him being at home all day … with no meaningful routine or structure,” she wrote. “These components were likely a significant contributor to Mr. Dockter having too much time on his hands, which led him to turning to the internet for stimulation, which eventually led to his sexual offense.”
She went on to write that it was likely a “significant contributor” to his offense.
Dockter also wrote that the harsh conditions he faced at Central Virginia Regional Jail, including effectively being confined to his cell, merited a more lenient sentence.
The judge ultimately sentenced him to 11 years in prison.
