Crystal Lake search warrant leads to 3 years in prison for Cary man with image of child sex abuse

A Cary man has pleaded guilty to possessing an image depicting child sex abuse and was sentenced to three years in prison.

James Gitzinger, 35, formerly of Crystal Lake, also pleaded Monday to an additional count of possessing images of child sex abuse. For this, he was sentenced to another 30 months of sex offender probation, to be served after completing his prison term. He also will then be on mandatory supervised release three years to life, according to an order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt in McHenry County court.

Gitzinger was charged in 2023 after Crystal Lake police received a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and executed a search warrant of Gitzinger’s home, authorities said at the time.

In exchange for Gitzinger’s guilty pleas to the two Class 2 felonies, additional counts of the same charge were dismissed, including more serious Class X offenses, which carry prison terms up to 30 years.