Correction: A prior version of this article incorrectly stated the county attorney’s office that handled the case.
Former Flagstaff broadcaster Dave Zorn was sentenced to a year and a half in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
Zorn was arrested in March when he attempted to meet an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl following a week of exchanging explicit messages.
He accepted a deal from the Navajo County Attorney's Office in September, ultimately pleading guilty to reduced charges of luring a minor for sexual exploitation and furnishing harmful items to a minor.
Navajo County prosecuted the case to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
The terms detailed in court documents stipulate that Zorn must spend up to one-and-a-half years in prison and complete at least 85% of his sentence before he's eligible for parole.
After his release, Zorn will be on probation for 10 years and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
During Thursday's sentencing, Judge Joshua Steinlage reminded Zorn multiple times that he would have to serve the full sentence of close to nine years if he violates the terms of the deal.
"Never lose sight of the fact that you have a very serious prison sentence hanging out over your head," Steinlage said.
Zorn will be transferred from the Coconino County Detention Facility to the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry in the coming days. He will then be transported to a state correctional facility to serve out his sentence.
Zorn was previously the news director of KAFF News Radio and taught part-time in NAU’s School of Communication.
He was terminated from both positions shortly after his arrest.
