Child Porn Charges May Land Illinois Man a Life Sentence

Few crimes are abhorred by society as much as those that hurt children, child pornography being chief among them. Despite its taboo, child pornography does happen – sometimes in places you may least expect.

A recent case in Kankakee, Illinois highlights the pervasiveness of child pornography. Police executed a warrant on the home of a 32 year old man. Evidence of child pornography was found, leading to his arrest. Later, he was charged with six counts, including possession of child pornography, a Class 1 felony.

While everyone remains innocent until proven guilty, even being charged with child pornography harbors serious legal trouble.

So, what is child pornography? And what types of penalties can you face if you are found guilty? Read on to find out.

What Is Child Pornography in Illinois?

Child pornography centers on activities of a sexual nature involving minors – people under the age of 18. Visual portrayal of sexual activities or display of erotic/lewd behavior to sexually gratify an audience – if a minor participates in either, it’s considered child pornography in Illinois.

Several actions can lead to child pornography charges in Illinois. These are:

• Sending sexually explicit images or text messages to someone under 18
• Encouraging someone under 18 to send such images or texts to you
• Owning pornographic images of a minor, digital or hard copy
• Sending or downloading child pornography materials via the internet
• Distributing pornographic images or materials of children in person, over the internet, or in the mail
• Peddling child pornography
• Producing child pornography in any way, e.g. videos or pictures, and selling the media online

Not only do local authorities in Illinois monitor child pornography, but the federal government and its agencies have also increasingly targeted these cases. They focus resources to find and prosecute anyone involved in child pornography.

The Penalties for Child Pornography in Illinois

Severe consequences await those found guilty of child pornography crimes in Illinois.

Possession of Child Pornography

The Kankakee man discussed at the beginning of the article,  if found guilty, likely faces penalties for possession of child pornography.

This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 4 to 15 years in prison. The sentence legnth depends on quantity of child pornography possessed as well as the nature of the images.

If a child featured in the pornography is under the age of 13, the accused can face even more time in prison – up to 30 years.

Production of Child Pornography

If you are found guilty of producing child pornography, the minimum sentence is 10 years in prison, but you can serve as many as 20.

Distribution of Child Pornography

If found guilty of the distribution of child pornography, a person can face a minimum of 10 years behind bars. But often much harsher sentences are handed down by the judge.

Fines can also be assessed for crimes related to child pornography. Depending on the specifics of a verdict, the defendant can be ordered to pay as much as $100,000.

Those convicted of child pornography or aggravated child pornography may also be required to register as a sex offender in the state of Illinois. Most sex offenders must register annually for a period of 10 years.

About the Author

Sami Azhari has been working as a lawyer since 2007, after receiving his Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law. He has handled numerous state and federal cases, and is known throughout the Chicago and Rolling Meadows area for providing his clients with high-quality, skilled representation. He has been recognized by Avvo (2013 and 2018), SuperLawyers (2015-2020), The National Trial Lawyers, and other notable organizations, and has spoken at a number of legal conferences.