A man accused of soliciting nude photos from a 15-year-old girl in Douglas County has been convicted of sexually exploiting the child.

Sean T. Wenger, 33, pleaded no contest Thursday to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, a felony.

Douglas County District Court Judge Kay Huff accepted his plea and said the conviction means Wenger must register as a sex offender for 25 years, with lifetime supervision after he is released from prison. Though Wenger has yet to be sentenced, the judge said — despite his lack of other criminal history, according to prosecutors and his attorney — he will presumably serve time in prison, under Kansas sentencing guidelines.

Sean T. Wenger

In May 2015, Lawrence police began an investigation involving online sexual activity, which led to the charge being filed against Wenger in June 2017, prosecutor Deborah Moody said.

Texts between Wenger and a girl he knew was under 18 show that he demanded sexually explicit photos of the girl, then 15, Moody said. Police found 20 nude images of the girl on Wenger’s phone, photos that she took and sent to him at his request, while she was in Douglas County, Moody said.

No physical contact between Wenger and the girl was alleged.

Court charges list Wenger’s address as Osage City, but jail and bond records from his arrest in September list his address as Florida.

Wenger remains free on bond. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 8.