Newark man sentenced for child pornography, registration violation

YORKVILLE – A Newark man was sentenced Feb. 21 to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of child pornography and failing to register as a sex offender.

Benjamin H. Murphy, 28, of the 20 block of Coy Park Drive in Newark, was charged after law enforcement received information that Murphy was communicating with a 16-year-old girl from Ohio. Police learned during the investigation that Murphy was communicating with the minor and exchanging nude photographs via a Skype account, according to a news release from Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis.

Police found child pornography images on Murphy's laptop and a USB drive after a search of his home in May 2018. Weis said law enforcement found fewer than 100 files of child pornography in Murphy's possession.

Murphy admitted to police he received the images from the underage girl in Ohio, the release said. He also admitted to downloading sexual images of girls as young as 5.

Murphy was required to register as a sexual predator due to a prior sex offense. Investigators also learned he failed to register his Skype account, as required by the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act.

Murphy will have to serve three years of mandatory supervised release, or parole, upon his release from the Illinois Department of Corrections. He is required to register with the Illinois Sex Offender Registry for his lifetime, the release said.

Kendall County Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Dore prosecuted the cases. Attorney Victoria Chuffo represented Murphy.