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SYCAMORE – A Sandwich man was sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty in front of a DeKalb County judge Nov. 7 to possession of child pornography.
Jose A. Medellin, 26, of the 300 block of Wentworth Drive, Sandwich, was sentenced by 23rd Circuit Judge Marcy Buick to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for three counts of possession of child pornography of a victim younger than 13, according to a news release from the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
He faced up to seven years in prison. Buick also ruled that Medellin must serve four years probation following his prison sentence.
Possession of child pornography video or film is a Class X felony in Illinois, subject to up to 30 years in prison. Possession of child pornography photos, unless the person has a prior sexual crime conviction, is a Class 2 felony.
Records show Medellin had been released from DeKalb County Jail on Dec. 11, 2020, one day after his arrest following a bond hearing during which retired DeKalb County Judge Robbin Stuckert issued a $35,000 recognizance bond.
Assistant Attorney General Shantikumar Kulkarni prosecuted the case in DeKalb County court. Medellin was represented by Wheaton-based criminal defense lawyer Daniel Collins, records show.
Medellin was arrested in December 2020 after an investigation involving the attorney general’s office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The program enables federal and local authorities to apprehend suspects who download and trade child pornography online, according to the release.
“This sentencing means the defendant will no longer be able to exploit and victimize young children,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release. “My office is committed to working through the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to hold perpetrators accountable for the heinous crimes they commit, which often leave young victims and their families with a lifetime of trauma.”
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office and Sandwich Police Department conducted a joint search of Medellin’s home Dec. 10, 2020, after a complaint was made that he had photos of child pornography, according to DeKalb County court records.
Medellin was home at the time of the search. Police arrested him after they found evidence of the photos at his home.
According to records, Medellin was later interviewed by Sandwich police and admitted to downloading the photos from the internet.
The Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to the release.
The task force receives cyber tips, or online reports of child pornography, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the past several years, online reports have steadily increased, according to the release. In 2021, reports to the task force increased by 42% from 2020.
Illinois’ task force is comprised of more than 285 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, according to the release. Since 2019, the task force has received more than 24,100 online reports of child pornography and been involved in more than 408 arrests. Sine 2006, the initiative has been involved in more than 1,840 arrests.
The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to more than 962,779 parents, teachers and students, and 23,250 law enforcement officials.