3-year sentence for St. Charles man for child porn
A 34-year-old St. Charles man recently was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to child pornography possession.
Refugio M. Padilla Jr., of the 7N200 block of Barb Hill Drive, also must pay a fine of $2,365, according to court records.
Kane County Circuit Judge Karen Simpson accepted the guilty plea last week. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed the most serious charges of reproducing and disseminating child pornography of a victim younger than 13, a felony that carried a minimum six-year sentence and a top penalty of 30 years behind bars.
Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler said Padilla was arrested at his home Jan. 17. Naperville police initiated an investigation into Padilla, but because his home and computer were in Kane County, the sheriff’s department obtained a search warrant. A preliminary examination of the computer showed about 100 child pornography images, Gengler said.
The child pornography charge that Padilla pleaded guilty to had a top punishment of seven years in prison.
It is Padilla’s second felony conviction. He was sentenced to 24 months probation, fined $2,450, and spent eight days in jail for an aggravated battery causing great bodily harm charge from a March 2003 incident in Batavia, according to Kane County court records.
Hear Kane judges read: The Kane County Law Library and Self Help Legal Center will hold its annual “Family Reading Night with the Judges” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Judges David Akemann, Rene Cruz and John Dalton will share their favorite bedtime stories, then kids can join in touring a courtroom and sitting in a judge’s chair. Kids can wear their pajamas. The law library is at 37W 777 Route 38, St. Charles. This event is for children in second grade or younger. An adult must accompany children. Call (630) 406-7126.
Aurora police, firefighters reach out: The Aurora Police Department recently completed a fundraiser for the Illinois Special Olympics and a blood drive for the Heartland Blood Center.
Officers raised $900 in a Nov. 2 “Run for the Athletes 5K,” bringing their total to $19,000 raised for Special Olympics this year.
Aurora police and fire department personnel also held their yearly “Guns & Hoses Blood Drive” Nov. 5, which is a friendly competition to see which department could donate the most units of blood to the Heartland Blood Center.
The police won, netting 31 units compared to the fire department’s 24. The blood drive surpassed its goal of 50 overall units.
hhitzeman@dailyherald.com