Madison County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on August 31, 2010, BLAKE JOSEPH YOUNG age 41, last known address in Bethalto, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a two-count indictment charging him with production and possession of child pornography in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis. Production of child pornography is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 15 years to 30 years. Possession of child pornography is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release term of five years to life.

At the time of his plea, YOUNG entered into a factual stipulation which indicated that on March 21, 2010, YOUNG was in his motor home in a church parking lot in Alton, Illinois. On occasion, YOUNG had attended the church. While parked outside the church, YOUNG asked a 12-year-old boy who he knew from church to enter the motor home. Once inside the motor home, YOUNG took pornographic pictures of the 12-year-old.

YOUNG also showed the 12-year-old nude photos of another minor child which YOUNG had stored on YOUNG’s cellular phone. Search warrants were executed on the motor home and the cellular phone, resulting in recovery of the images of child pornography.

Sentencing is currently scheduled for December 3, 2010.

Information for the indictment was obtained in an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Metro East Cybercrime Task Force and the Alton Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne M. Garrison.