URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - A man who had child pornography on his phone was sentenced Tuesday to decades behind bars. 

Dennis West, 43, had nude pictures of a child on his phone when Arthur police found the device in November as part of a different investigation. Atwood police were informed, and that department spoke with a victim from outside of Illinois. 

West had the pictures from when the victim was under 18 years old.

Prosecutors said West began grooming underage girls when they were juniors in high school and paid them to engage in sex acts, as well as send him pictures of sexually explicit conduct. The crimes occurred in 2017 and 2018.

Investigators arrested West when Piatt County and Douglas County deputies executed a search warrant at his home. He faced five charges of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography.

His sentence includes a total of 26 years in prison. He was ordered to serve 26 years for the first five charges and 10 years for the sixth charge, with the sentences being served concurrently, or at the same time. 

West's prison term will be followed by 15 years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $600 special assessment and $1,355.15 in restitution.