SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Hillsboro, Illinois, man, Andrew Collins, 32, of the 200 Block of Main Street, was sentenced on February 14, 2022, to 120 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for enticement of a minor. The sentencing hearing was held before U.S. District Court Judge Sue E. Myerscough,
The defendant pleaded guilty on October 14, 2021. At that time, the government presented evidence that online chats between Collins and the sixteen-year-old minor indicated that Collins persuaded the minor to have sex with him by offering toy gifts, and promises of weekends together, nude massages, and permanently living together in the future.
For the offense of enticement of a minor, the statutory penalties are not less than ten years and up to life in prison, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
“We appreciate the work of law enforcement in identifying this predatory online behavior and bringing the perpetrator to justice,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore, who represented the government in the matter.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the United States Secret Service and Central and Southern Illinois Financial and Cyber Crimes Task Force.
The case 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.