Savoy man sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor

Mar. 14—SAVOY — A Savoy man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mihm handed down the sentence to David Berry, of the 800 block of Hartwell, after he pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of a minor in September 2023.

Berry must also serve five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender, a news release from the United States Attorney's Office Central District of Illinois said.

The government presented evidence that Berry brought a minor to his home, sexually assaulted her and recorded the acts on video in October 2021.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mihm said Berry was responsible for trauma caused to the minor and must pay $6,140 in restitution.

Berry was indicted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in February 2022. He faced 15 to 30 years in prison and five years to life term of supervised release.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement department, Homeland Security Investigations, Champaign County Sheriff's Office, Urbana Police Department and Champaign County State's Attorney's Office all participated in the investigation.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O'Brien, who is also the deputy bureau chief in the High Tech Crimes Bureau for the Illinois Attorney General's Office, represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.