Criminal Court Judge Steve Bevil has handed a 22-year-old prison sentence to a man charged with trying to arrange sex with an 11-year-old girl.
In addition, Robert Broyles is to be returned to Texas to finish out a prison term on five felony convictions. Officials said he had served about half of a 40-year sentence.
Chattanooga Police said they learned that Broyles was seeking sex with a young girl, and they had an undercover officer contact him. They said the 51-year-old Broyles agreed to pay $120 for sex with an 11-year-old. He was arrested when he went to a motel room.
Broyles apologized for his conduct, but he said, "I don't think I would have touched her" had he been able to go into the room with the girl.
He said, "I must have been off my rocker" to have contacted the young girl.
Pleading for mercy, he stated, "I punish myself every waking moment more severely than any court ever could."
Judge Bevil said the lengthy sentence should mean that there would not be other young victims of Broyles.
A jury earlier found Broyles guilty of attempted rape - leading to a sentencing range of 8-30 years.
The Texas convictions include two aggravated rapes, two aggravated assaults and one aggravated sexual battery.
Broyles' attorney, Christian Coder, had told the jury there was never any real 11-year-old girl. He said it was "a thought crime."
Broyles made four calls to set up the rendezvous after answering a newspaper ad, and he had condoms in his pocket, authorities said.