Petersburg man pleads guilty to 34 felony counts involving crimes against children

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – A Petersburg man plead guilty to over 30 felony counts involving crimes against children, on Tuesday.

Adam L. Power, 30, pleaded guilty to the following criminal actions that occurred between July 2022 and February 2023:

7 counts of production of child pornography
8 counts of distribution of child pornography
18 counts of receipt of child pornography
1 count of possession of child pornography on May 3, 2024

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 5, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.

Proceutors said evidence supporting Powers plea, showed he used online chatting applications such as Snapchat and Kik, identified himself as a minor female to get minor males to produce child pornographic images and videos of themselves.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Powers also distributed as well as received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Power was originally arrested in Petersburg, Illinois, on March 21, 2023, and charged for possession of child pornography by the Menard County State’s Attorney’s Office.

On June 30, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield charged Powers with production, distribution, and receipt of child pornography.

A Grand Jury returned a ten-count indictment on July 6, 2023.

Subsequently, on January 3, 2024, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging him with a total of thirty-four counts involving crimes against children.

Power has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 30, 2023.

The State's Attorney said each count of production of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of at least fifteen years with a maximum of thirty years’ imprisonment. The charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography carry a penalty of at least five years to a maximum of twenty years’ imprisonment; and for possession of child pornography, he can be penalized up to twenty years imprisonment.