A former courthouse security officer in La Porte County has been sentenced for having

child pornography.

Joe Lopez received two years on work release and two years probation Friday in

La Porte Circuit Court.

Therapy is one of the requirements of his probation.

According to court documents…the 50 year old Lopez had thousands of digital images

of child pornography at his home in La Porte.

Authorities say Lopez admitted downloading the images for three years as a hobby.

He worked for the sheriff’s office for close to 20 years prior to his arrest.