Newark man sentenced to 14-year prison term in child pornography case

YORKVILLE – A Kendall County judge has sentenced a Newark man charged with two counts of child pornography to a 14-year prison term under terms of a plea agreement.

Michael A. Wicklatz, 47, of the 14000 block of Lisbon Road, was sentenced by Judge Robert Pilmer, according to a statement issued Feb. 24 by the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Also under terms of the plea agreement, Wicklatz will have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life based upon the two convictions, and will serve three years to life on mandatory supervised release, formerly known as parole.

According to the statement, the charges against Wicklatz stem from a Kendall County Sheriff’s Office investigation that began after it received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“Detectives were able to find that Wicklatz had been having conversations with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old female via a commonly used messaging application known as Kik. These conversations were graphic and sexual in nature. Also found in the investigation were videos of child pornography that the defendant had sent out via the same Kik application,” the statement reads.

The Sheriff’s Office’s investigation concluded in October 2021 with Wicklatz’s arrest. He has remained in custody since that time.

Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said he wished to remind parents they need to be aware of the different messaging applications that are commonly used by their children and who they are chatting with online.

“Today, technology allows for communication that was thought impossible decades ago. Unfortunately, those that prey on children use it to commit these despicable crimes and make our children victims,” Weis said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Frank S. Gorup prosecuted the case. Wicklatz was represented by the Kendall County Public Defender’s Office.