HICKORY, N.C. — A federal judge sentenced a former firefighter to prison for possession of child sexual abuse material.

Nate Kurzak, 22, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday. Kurzak pleaded guilty to the charge in February. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after his release from prison, register as a sex offender, and pay $22,000 in special assessments.

Kurzak was arrested in October 2023 and charged with 10 counts each of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

The Hickory Fire Department confirmed Kurzak was hired as a firefighter on July 29, 2022. He was placed on administrative leave on Oct. 4, 2023, before being terminated a week later.

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