Former UI student gets probation for viewing, sharing child porn in dorm room

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - A former student at the University of Illinois has been sentenced to three years probation after admitting to watching child pornography in his dorm room.

The News Gazette reports Daniel Meyka, 19, of Mount Prospect pleaded guilty in June, admitting that he looked at and distributed pornographic pictures of young girls online in September of 2021 while in his dorm room at Saunders Hall.

Police became aware when they were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone had been using Snapchat to upload images on campus, the paper reports.

Police said a search of Meyka’s phone and computer resulted in 160 pornographic photos and another 140 videos being found that were downloaded between Sept. 2 and 20, 2021. Officers said Meyka engaged in at least 24 conversations with others about sharing the pornography.That information led to another person in North Dakota being arrested for having child pornography.

The state pushed for a six-year prison sentence.

Meyka’s attorney asked the judge for probation, because Meyka has no other convictions.

Meyka's arrest resulted in his expulsion from the University of Illinois. he will have to register as a sex offender.

As a condition of his probation, the judge ordered Meyka to hold a job or go to school and to consume no alcohol, cannabis or illegal drugs. He was also fined $1,000.