Benton, IL man sentenced to 28 years for child porn, sexual conduct with dog
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ill. (KBSI) – A man was sentenced to 28 year behind bars after pleading guilty to child pornography and sexual conduct with an animal on July 31.
Austin W. Lee, 29, of Benton, Illinois pleaded guilty to five counts of child pornography and one count of sexual conduct with an animal.
An investigator with the Office of the Attorney Gernal High Tech Crimes Bureau began an investigation on September 7, 2023 into several cybertips received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding apparant child pornography being uploaded to the cloud.
The investigation led to Benton, Illinois to the home of Lee.
Authorities searched Lee’s home and electronic devices.
During an interview, Franklin County State’s Attorney Abby Dinn says Lee admitted to investigators that he possessed, downloaded and uploaded numerous picture and videos of child pornography.
Authorities also searched Lee’s phone and say they found photographs and “disturbing videos of Lee having sexual conduct with a neighborhood dog.”
Lee entered guilty pleas to six of 15 counts. He was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on each count of child pornography and three years on the count involving the dog, for a total of 28 years.
The High Tech Crimes Bureau of the Offic of the Attorney General investigated the case.
Franklin County State’s Attorney Abby Dinn and Assistant Attorney General Vaneessa Minson Minor prosecuted the case.
