On June 10, 2024, Daniel Richards (DOB: 3/19/1996), formerly of Danville, Illinois, was sentenced to 9 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections following a contested sentencing hearing. Richards pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024 to three counts of Possession of Child Pornography, all class 2 felonies. Richards will serve a term of 1 year mandatory supervised release. Judge Robert McIntire heard evidence that the Illinois State Police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an Illinois resident who had uploaded child pornography to the internet. Working with the Attorney General’s Office and Vermilion County Authorities, the Illinois State Police made contact with this defendant, Daniel Richards. Investigators uncovered more evidence, and obtained a confession from Richards, that he had possessed and exchanged multiple images and videos of child pornography. State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said, “The rapid response and thorough investigation by the Illinois State Police led to a successful prosecution in this case. Child pornography is a serious crime and puts the children depicted in the images in grave danger.”