Georgetown Man Sentenced to More than 28 Years in Prison for Child Sex Crimes

 URBANA, Ill. – Ian J. Dukes, 38, of Georgetown, Ill., was sentenced today to 342 months (28 ½  years) for his role in child sex crimes involving two minors. Chief U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow imposed the sentence which also includes 15 years of supervised release to follow his prison term.

On Aug. 14, 2020, Dukes pled guilty to all counts as charged:  attempted enticement of a minor, under age 18, to engage in sexual activity in July 2019; attempted sexual exploitation of the same minor; enticement of a second minor; sex trafficking of children; and, receiving child pornography of a second minor.

A co-defendant, Julie P. Snyder, 43, of the 400 block of W. University Ave., Urbana, Ill., was also charged, with Dukes, for attempted enticement of a minor. On Nov. 12, 2020, Snyder pled guilty to the charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2021.

Both Dukes and Snyder have remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests on the charges:  Dukes on Feb. 11, 2020, and Snyder on March 6, 2020.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson represents the government in the prosecution. The charges are the result of investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division; the  Illinois State Police, and the Urbana Police Department, in coordination with the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better 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.