Richmond man pleads guilty to possessing image of child sex abuse, gets 7-year prison sentence

A Richmond man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for possessing images of child sex abuse.

Daniel B. Roewer, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing an image of child sex abuse, a Class 2 felony, according to the judgment order filed in McHenry County court and a news release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Roewer was ordered to pay $3,814 in fines and fees. He must serve half his prison term and, when released, he will serve two years of mandatory supervised release. Roewer gets credit for three days spent in the county jail. He must register as a sex offender for life, according to the judgment order.

In exchange for the guilty plea, additional counts were dismissed, including two counts of distributing an image depicting child sex abuse and one count of soliciting a child to perform and videotape “lewd” performances, each a Class X felony, according to the order.

On Oct. 27, 2022, based on a “cybertip” regarding lewd images of children linked to a Richmond address, local police and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office deputies obtained a search warrant. An app on which the photograph appeared and the email address where it was downloaded were searched, according to the release.

By February 2023, police found that Roewer was in the possession of images of child sexual abuse, according to the release. On Feb. 14, 2023, police stopped a vehicle driven by Roewer, he was arrested, and authorities seized “numerous electronic devices from his home, along with his cellphone,” according to the release.