A Canton man has been convicted of having an obscene internet chat with an undercover Peachtree City police officer whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Mahesh B. Patel was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of violation of the computer pornography and child exploitation act and one count of obscene internet contact.

Fayette Superior Court Judge Paschal A. English sentenced Patel to five years in prison followed by five years on probation; he will have to register as a sex offender under Georgia law.

Patel, who took the stand in his own defense Monday, said he was merely role-playing with the girl whom he said looked like 20 years old in the photo the officer sent to him. But prosecutor Randy Coggin pointed out that Patel inquired with the “girl” why she wasn’t in school at 9:45 a.m. during one of the explicit chats.

Patel’s attorney, Paul Liston, noted that the undercover officer first made contact with Patel in an Internet chat room that features sexually explicit content and is intended for adults only.

On the witness stand, Patel acknowledged that he was wrong to do what he did, and that he felt embarassment for his family and himself as a result of the arrest.