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Description: Peoria, Illinois criminal law lawyer represented defendant charged with distribution of child pornography.

At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that in February 2021, the Peoria Police Department coordinated with the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department and the United States Secret Service to investigate an individual suspected of selling images of child pornography on the Internet. Agents discovered during the investigation that Kiantre D. Dykeman, age 24, from Peoria, used Instagram to post images of prepubescent females accompanied by prices for various packages of child pornography and “teen nudes” images and videos. The account held by Dykeman represented that it had over 1,000 pictures depicting child pornography available for sale.

In March 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Dykeman’s residence in Peoria. Dykeman admitted to using Instagram to advertise the sale of child pornography images and videos. He stated he downloaded the child pornography but did not create the images. A review of Dykeman’s online accounts established that he had distributed child pornography to others, in exchange for money, using online messaging and had received payment using internet-based applications. Evidence presented at sentencing established that Dykeman was engaged in distributing child pornography for approximately a two-month period and had received approximately $200 in exchange for distributing the images and videos of children engaged in sex acts with adults.

In imposing the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge James Shadid noted that the victims in child pornography cases are real people who have been sexually abused as children, and they are victimized and traumatized over and over again their entire lives by the reality that images of their abuse are sent out into cyberspace and traded for others’ gratification or gain.

Dykeman was indicted in March 2021 and pleaded guilty on April 4, 2022. He has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since that date.

The statutory penalties for distribution of child pornography are 5 to 20 years of imprisonment, 5 years to life of supervised release, and possible fines of up to $250,000.

“The Department of Justice is committed to the safety and well-being of children and will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and prosecute those who engage in the receipt, possession, distribution, and production of images of child sex abuse,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna.

The Peoria Police Department and the United States Secret Service, along with the assistance of the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office and the Bloomington Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.

Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 132 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.

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