A Wisconsin man was sentenced late today in federal court in Jackson to three years in prison for making a threat on the Internet to assassinate then-President-elect Barack Obama.

Steven Joseph Christopher, 42, faced a maximum five years in prison.

After a nearly daylong sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate imposed the sentence.

Christopher pleaded guilty in July after Wingate agreed with him that he was competent to stand trial, although the U.S. attorney's office said a psychologist determined Christopher was mentally incompetent.

Christopher said he never intended to harm Obama. He said he made the threat to gain attention for his cause that he is the second coming of Christ and the apocalypse is coming in 2012 and much of the world will be destroyed.