24-year-old Johnsburg man sentenced to probation for child pornography

A 24-year-old Johnsburg man found in possession of child pornography was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation.

At a sentencing hearing Wednesday, Jacob D. Fredericks told a McHenry County judge that he has taken responsibility for his actions, leaving nothing more for the man to do than "beg for mercy and leniency," he said.

Fredericks, of the 5200 block of Pistakee Drive, accepted a deal from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Aug. 27 and pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. In addition to his probation sentence, Fredericks must serve 127 days in the McHenry County jail and is barred from having any unsupervised contact with children or possessing pornographic material, the judge ordered.

Fredericks’ arrest was the result of a investigation into a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to a news release at the time.

The Round Lake Police Department received the tip and transferred the case to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, which arrested Fredericks in March 2018.

Assistant Public Defender Ryan Ahern told the judge Wednesday that a sentence of probation would allow his client to receive proper treatment.

Fredericks also spoke to the judge, asking for mercy and claiming he made a mistake that with the help of his family and friends he will never make again.

“I’ve had many chances over the years.” Fredericks said. “I guess I’ve always been more willing to bare [the] burden alone than open up when it comes to a problem with me.”