FORMER FEDERAL PRESS OFFICIAL AGREES TO DEAL ON SEX CHARGES

You may remember the story of Brian Doyle, the former deputy press secretary for the federal Department of Homeland Security who was busted in April on 23 counts of using his computer to seduce a child and transmitting harmful materials to a minor. He believed at the time he was communicating to a 14 year old girl, but the "minor" was in reality a Polk County Sheriff's Office deputy working undercover.

The 56-year-old Maryland resident pled no contest Monday to all of the charges as part of a plea agreement. He remains free under a $230,000 bond until his sentencing hearing in November.

Under the deal, Circuit Judge J. Dale Durrance can sentence Doyle to as much as five years in prison. He will also have to serve ten years of sex offender probation, which will require that, among other conditions, he will have to register as a sex offender. Without the deal, he could have been sentenced to up to 115 years prision time, as each charge carries a five year penalty.

Doyle's Maryland attorney told reporters that the prosecuter, Assistant State Attorney Brad Copley, "drove an extremely hard bargain" and that "I think he got his measure of justice as he sees it".

Copley will reportedly argue for prison time at the sentencing hearing November 17.