LINCOLN, Neb. -- A Lincoln man will spend decades in prison for his conviction related to the production of child pornography.

Acting U.S. Attorney Steve Russell announced Wednesday that 53-year-old Gregory Dightman was sentenced to 20.5 years in prison for four counts of production of child pornography. Dightman received the same sentence for each charge, all of which will be served concurrently. Dightman was also ordered to pay $12,000, which will contribute to funds established for victims in similar cases.

On November 19, 2019, the Lincoln Police Department received information related to a case initially received by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. A mother reported that her daughter had been taking inappropriate photographs with a professional photographer, who was identified as Dightman. The photographs included nude images. LPD received search warrants for Dightman’s home and studio area where photos were taken. Dightman consented to talk to law enforcement and admitted that he knew how old the girl was and that he had taken nude photographs of her.

Through the examination of Dightman’s devices and interviews with other young women, it was determined that Dightman had taken photos of at least four female minors at the time the photos were taken. The conduct spanned from 2009 until 2019. The victims were between the ages of 16 and 17 when Dightman took the sexually explicit photographs. The investigation revealed that Dightman would pay the victims for the photo shoots. Between the four girls, approximately 590 child pornographic images were recovered.

The case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the FBI.