SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A 26-year-old Springfield man who possessed over 200,000 images of child sexual abuse material was sentenced Thursday.
Adam J. Heintzman, formerly of Emden, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing, the government established that Heintzman used online messaging to express his desire to sexually abuse a child. His messages also said that he preferred children under the age of 10.
Last December, Heintzman pleaded guilty in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless noted that the sentence was appropriate based on the quantity of images, the ages of the children involved, and the fact that the depictions included images of sadistic or masochist conduct.
Judge Lawless further ordered that Heintzman serve seven years of supervised release following his sentence of imprisonment and that he pay over $80,000 in restitution to his victims.
“Each person who shares, receives, and possesses the lasting evidence of the sexual assaults suffered by children depicted in child pornography contributes to the irreparable harm suffered by these victims,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs. “These predators value their own satisfaction at the expense of children. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their commitment to these investigations and cases.”
The case against Heintzman was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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