A former Elgin police officer was sentenced by a DeKalb County judge this week to 12 years in prison, more than two years after authorities searched his home and found hours’ worth of video depicting child sexual abuse.

Jordan M. Collins, 36, of Kirkland, was arrested while on duty in Elgin Dec. 4, 2023. He was charged Dec. 6 with two counts of possession and reproduction of materials depicting child sex abuse, Class X felonies, and five lesser felony counts of possession of the materials, records show. He initially faced up to 30 years in jail on the Class X felonies.

On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick sentenced him to 12 years – three years for each Class 2 felony count – in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He’ll need to serve at least 50% of his sentence. He gets credit for 115 days spent in DeKalb County jail, records show. He must also register as a sex offender in Illinois.

“The DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office is grateful for the assistance of the Attorney General’s Office in investigating and prosecuting this case,” DeKalb County State’s Attorney Riley Oncken said in a news release. “Defendants who victimize and prey on children, especially defendants in positions of authority and trust, deserve to be in prison. A sentence of 12 years sends a strong message and will hopefully deter others who might seek to do harm to our most vulnerable.”

The case was co-prosecuted by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office. The AG’s office operates a state task force that focuses on prosecuting internet and digital crimes against children.

After his 2023 arrest, Collins was held in custody for about four months before his defense lawyer, Jonathan Erickson, successfully appealed for his release under new conditions of the Pretrial Release Fairness Act, records show. Under the SAFE-T Act provisions, a judge granted him release on March 28, 2024, after an Illinois Appellate Court determination. His case remained pending in court until Oct. 15, 2025, when he pleaded guilty to four Class 2 felony counts of possession of materials depicting child sex abuse, records show.

The charges came after a Dec. 4, 2023, police search of Collins’ home uncovered numerous firearms and ammunition, ready-to-eat survivalist meals, and computer equipment containing hours worth of videos depicting the abuse, police said in court filings.

A statement from Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley at the time said Collins had been placed on administrative leave immediately following his arrest. Collins subsequently resigned from the Elgin Police Department that same month, according to a Dec. 28, 2023, news release from the department.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office works with local and federal law enforcement to investigate people who download and trade illegal materials online.

“Today’s [Tuesday’s] sentence sends a clear message that anyone who preys upon and exploits victims online will be held accountable – including those in positions of authority,” Raoul said in the release. “I would like to thank DeKalb County State’s Attorney Riley Oncken’s office for their partnership in prosecuting this case, as well as the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance. My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to work tirelessly to identify and track down any individual who assaults and exploits children.”