BOONE, Iowa — A 37-year-old former firefighter from Boone has entered a guilty plea in a sexual exploitation case. KCCi reports Joshua Long pled guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation involving a minor. Court records indicate he possessed explicit screenshots depicting the abuse of a young girl under 12.

Despite potential for a long prison sentence, this month a judge granted Long five years of probation instead, stirring controversy and criticism, particularly from Boone County Attorney Matthew Speers.

Speers strongly objected, arguing that the explicitness of images warranted a more severe punishment. He believed Long should have faced a lengthy prison sentence due to the severity of the conduct depicted in the images.