An Elgin man who made a copy of a video showing a child being sexually abused was sentenced to eight years in prison, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
Patrick K. Shanahan, 35, of the 200 block of South State Street, pleaded guilty to a class X felony charge of reproducing child pornography in exchange for the prison sentence under a plea deal approved by Circuit Judge John Barsanti.
Shanahan was arrested in March in connection with a video he copied in August 2020 in which a child under the age of 13 was seen being sexually abused, a news release said. Several other charges, including possession of child pornography and possession of a controlled substance, were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Shanahan will receive credit for the 278 days he served in the Kane County jail and must register for life as a sexual offender under state law.
“This is not a victimless crime,” Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Rodgers said in the release.
“Every time someone sees this video recording or shares this recording, the child depicted in it is victimized. I hope that people who view or share child sex abuse material begin to realize what they risk and who they harm when they download or upload this stuff,” he said.