A Gorham man who lost his home in a fire last week was sentenced Friday to jail for possessing child pornography after entering a guilty plea.

In a misdemeanor plea hearing in Cumberland County Court in which some charges were dismissed, Ronald Meserve, 63, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and a two-year probation stemming from charges of possessing sexual explicit material.

State police computer crime unit arrested Meserve at his home on June 9 on charges of possessing child pornography.

Judge MaryGay Kennedy on Friday ordered Meserve to report at 6 p.m. on June 4 to begin serving his sentence. He was given 364 days in jail with all but 30 days suspended.

Clifford Strike, the lawyer who represented Meserve, had asked the court to fully suspend the sentence, citing the loss of the Meserve home and barn in a fire on March 11. “He and his wife are devastated,” Strike said.

“He’s now homeless,” Strike said.

“I’m terribly sorry for the loss of your property,” said Kennedy, but declined to suspend the whole sentence.