A woman who received probation for distributing a sexually explicit video of a McHenry woman without her permission was sentenced to three years in prison after violating her probation.
Ashley E. Ellis, 35, of Spring Valley, was charged in August 2020 with non-consensual dissemination of a sexual image, a Class 4 felony.
A criminal complaint said Ellis disseminated a video of a victim, a McHenry woman, engaged in a sexual act.
The victim was clearly identifiable in the video, the complaint said.
The victim did not consent to the distribution of the video and the video was obtained in which a “reasonable person would know or understand that the video was to remain private,” according to the complaint.
Ellis pleaded guilty to the charge as part of a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In exchange, Ellis was sentenced by McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt in October 2020 to felony probation.
Ellis was ordered to be on probation for two years and perform 100 public service hours along with undergoing a substance abuse evaluation, court records show.
She was also ordered to abstain from alcohol, THC and illegal drugs.
In February 2022, prosecutors filed a petition to revoke Ellis’ probation after she tested positive for cocaine and opiates on separate occasions in August 2021.
She also admitted to using cocaine and heroin on two occasions in October 2021, prosecutors said.
Ellis failed to report for drug testing twice in August 2021 and once in September 2021.
Prosecutors said the woman failed to report to probation numerous times in 2021 and 2022.
McHenry County Judge James Cowlin resentenced Ellis last week to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The sentence will be served at 50% and she will receive 280 days of credit for time served.