A Kewanee man was sentenced to six years in prison after he plead guilty to two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Joseph D Czolgosz, 34, apologized to his family and the victims for what he put them through during his unsworn statement. He said “I’m ashamed of myself” and he has had the last 18 or 19 months in jail to think about what he did. He said he misses his family and “will do whatever to make it up to them”. His Attorney, Jonathan Ruud, said most Child Pornography cases involve hundreds or thousands of images and Mr. Czolgosz had fewer than 10 images. He said most of the downloads were in the middle of the night when Czolgosz was intoxicated. State’s Attorney Runty said that a lapse in judgement signifies a one-time occurrence, in response to Mr. Czolgosz saying he hopes to never have a lapse in judgement again with substance abuse. State’s Attorney Runty said she agrees that Mr. Czolgosz would benefit from treatment, she recommended five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections because of the severity of his actions. Attorney Ruud said Czolgosz’s intoxication level explains his lapse in judgement and recommended probation.
Judge Terry Patton said “this is a serious offense. It’s an offense to the most vulnerable in our society”. Judge Patton said the children are victimized every time the images are viewed and shared. “I disagree that alcohol is an excuse for his behavior, especially if he has had the problem for awhile.” “He knows he shouldn’t be drinking.” Judge Patton said Mr. Czolgosz showed remorse and sincerity in his unsworn statement and he will probably comply with probation, but a sentence is necessary to deter people from committing the same crime. Judge Patton said that looking and downloading the images perpetuates the crime and people “need to know there are consequences for that”.
Judge Patton sentenced Joseph Czolgosz to three years for each count, for a total of six years. His sentence is followed by 12 months of Mandatory Supervised Release, he will get credit for time served, must register as a sex offender, submit a DNA Sample and pay fines and assessments. Judge Patton approved a waiver of waivable assessment. Czolgosz must report to Court Services within 30 days of his release from the Illinois Department of Corrections to arrange payment on fines and assessments.
