MT. VERNON – An Ashley man was sentenced Thursday in Jefferson County Court to 46 years in prison for child porn according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Fifty-seven-year-old Robert D. Paul was arrested on a warrant charging Child Pornography on October 27, 2023. He pled guilty to the charge. He remains lodged in the Jefferson County Jail awaiting transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

On July 4, 2023, members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force from the sheriff’s office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about suspected child pornography. An investigation began which led to multiple search warrants for electronic records and eventually a search warrant for Paul’s home located at 9247 N. Riddle Ln. in Ashley, which was served on Sept. 8, 2023. Multiple pieces of evidence were collected and seized from his home.

Electronic pieces of evidence collected were forensically analyzed. On Sept. 26, 2023, the case file was forwarded to the States Attorney’s Office requesting felony charges against Paul. Paul was held in the Jefferson County Jail to await his first court hearing.