The Green County State’s Attorney’s Office announced that 33-year-old Nicholas A. Williams of Green County was sentenced to serve 14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on Friday, following his conviction on three separate Class 2 felony counts of possession of child pornography. Williams entered a plea of guilty on the three counts ahead of the sentencing.
The charges stemmed from the defendant’s knowing possession of multiple video depictions of minors under the age of thirteen engaged in sexual acts, which were discovered during the course of a criminal investigation.
Greene County State’s Attorney Craig M. Grummel extended special thanks to Special Investigator Larry Rayburn of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and the team that assisted him, saying their work was instrumental in holding the offender accountable.
42-year-old Nicholas Bridgewater, no place of residence provided, was sentenced to serve five (5) years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The decision stemmed from his conviction for Class 3 felony Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.
Bridgewater previously entered a plea of guilty to knowingly possessing less than five grams of a substance containing methamphetamine. Circuit Judge Allison Lorton imposed the sentence on Friday.
Bridgewater was given credit for time served and was recommended for substance abuse treatment programming while in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Greene County State’s Attorney Craig M. Grummel emphasized that “Mr. Bridgewater’s sentence is the product of decades of criminal behaviour and repeated contacts with law enforcement.”