A Richmond man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after police found he distributed child pornography online and persuaded a child to send him an explicit video.
Daniel B. Roewer, 28, of Richmond, was charged in February 2023 with eight counts of child pornography, ranging from Class X to Class 3 felonies.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Roewer possessed multiple images of sexually explicit images and a video involving a child or children.
Some of the images showed a child, under the age of 13, unclothed and in a lewd exhibition, the complaint said.
Two images of a girl, under the age of 18 and unclothed, were disseminated through the online application Discord, the complaint said.
The complaint said Roewer persuaded or enticed a child he believed to be under the age of 18 to record a video of herself performing an act unclothed and then send it to him.
The investigation began when the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip of child pornography linked to an address in Richmond and worked with the Richmond Police Department, prosecutors said.
Search warrants were obtained and electronic devices were seized.
An arrest warrant was issued for Roewer on February 14, 2023, court records show.
He was arrested the same day following a traffic stop and transported to the McHenry County Jail where he was released after posting 10% of his $100,000 bond.
Court records show Roewer entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on October 17, which was the day he was scheduled to go on trial.
He pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography, a Class 2 felony, in exchange for the rest of the charges being dismissed.
McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt approved the plea and sentenced Roewer to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the plea.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.