(WAND) - A Campus, Illinois man was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Dakota Flint, 23, was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault and predatory criminal sexual assault. Flint also must register as a sex offender.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Flint was operating on the dark web under the username “acidman”. Flint used websites he accessed to distribute child pornography and to discuss engaging in hands-on sex offenses, officials said.
They said Flint also inquired about how to sedate children and bragged about assaults he committed or planned to commit.
After Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) located Flint, his electronic devices were confiscated, and a forensic analysis was conducted, revealing he was responsible for more than 4,000 images of child pornography, investigators said.
The analysis further revealed images and videos taken by Flint of minor juvenile females, they said.
The investigation resulted in Flint’s conviction in three sexual assault cases in Livingston County. At least one image and one video produced and distributed by Flint on the “dark web” has been in the possession of persons under investigation or charged in other districts.
Also at the hearing, Judge James Shadid found that Flint’s possession and distribution of images of child sex abuse had contributed to psychological harm and trauma experienced by child victims whose images are trafficked online.
Flint was originally indicted in June 2020 and pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2022. He has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his indictment.
The statutory penalties for possession of child pornography are up to 20 years imprisonment and up to a lifetime of supervised release.
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