Ex-Huntley man gets four months in jail on child porn charge

A 65-year-old former Huntley man was sentenced to four months in the McHenry County jail Friday after admitting guilt to allegations he had child pornography on his home computer.

Stephen H. McConnaughay, now living in Woodstock, also must serve two years probation, pay a $1,000 fine and register as a sex offender as part of a plea deal to a Class 3 felony charge of possession of child pornography.

In return for the plea, county prosecutors dismissed a more serious Class 1 felony version of the charge.

"Obviously this is a very serious offense, but we considered the age of the defendant and his lack of criminal history," said Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Philip Hiscock. "The chances of rehabilitation are very good for him."

McConnaughay was charged in February 2008 after Huntley police, acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, obtained a search warrant for his former home in the 10000 block of Michael Street and found about 40 images of child pornography on his computer, Hiscock said.

McConnaughay's attorney, Robert Fisher, said his client is a good person and military veteran who let his curiosity get the better of him.

"This was a sad day for Mr. McConnaughay," Fisher said. "The ease of accessibility to this kind of material sometimes attracts a noncriminal persona into this world of Internet pornography."

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigated McConnaughay, Fisher said, and determined he poses no actual threat to children.

Nonetheless, while on probation McConnaughay will be barred from any unsupervised contact with minors. He also must undergo two polygraph exams to test whether he is continuing to look at or obtain child pornography.

"They have polygraph exams to make sure he is telling his counselors the truth," Hiscock said.