Lake in the Hills man gets probation on child pornography charge

A Lake in the Hills man was sentenced Friday to 30 months probation, but no time in jail, on his admission that he possessed graphic child pornography on his home computer.

Christopher Gidley, 35, of the 500 block of Pawnee Drive, also must register as a sex offender, continue with sex offender treatment and pay a $2,500 fine under the sentenced handed down by McHenry County Judge Joseph Condon.

Gidley had faced a maximum two to five years in prison after pleading guilty in November to one count of child pornography. As part of that plea agreement, county prosecutors dismissed two additional counts of the same offense.

He apologized in court Friday and asked for a chance to make up for his mistakes.

"I had absolutely no intention of harming anyone," he said. "I just want an opportunity to correct the situation."

Police arrested Gidley in July 2008 as part of a two-year federal probe into a ring of commercial child pornography Web sites, police said. Authorities seized his computer and later found several files of children involved in sexual acts, a prosecutor said Friday.

"By viewing that, he encourages those behaviors to continue," said Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein, who was seeking a two-year prison term for Gidley.

But Gidley's attorney noted that his client already has sought treatment and has no prior criminal record. His counselors, as well as McHenry County probation officials, do not believe he poses a threat to children, he added.

"It's pretty clear that they do no consider him a predator," defense lawyer George Kililis said. "My client is not a risk to violent sexual behavior of any kind."