A Decatur man was hit with a 25-year prison sentence for the sexual exploitation of three children, justice officials disclosed. Tevin Ford, 29, will spend 300 months behind bars followed by five years of supervised release after assaulting minors in a hotel room back in September 2021, the punishment was meted out on March 13, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Mihm.
Ford, who had entered a guilty plea on September 14, 2023, saw his actions placed under a harsh spotlight during the sentencing, the government demonstrating clearly that his intentions toward the minors were predatory from the very start, and Judge Mihm didn't hesitate to confirm that the evidence substantiated this grim reality; all according to a report by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.
Under the weight of the law, offenses like Ford's carry heavy penalties which include 15 to 30 years in prison, and possible fines reaching up to $250,000 helped to close the net on Ford, the Decatur Police Department collaborating with the United States Marshal Service in the investigation which has now had its grim conclusion.
This case forms a part of the larger crusade against the sexual exploitation of children known as Project Safe Childhood, a concerted effort led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the CEOS to combat and curb the devastating tide of abuse that sweeps through the nation's digital and real-world corridors, assistance was provided for Ford's case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elly Peirson and Rachel Ritzer. Further details can be gleaned from www.projectsafechildhood.gov which offers resources and more key information on Project Safe Childhood's mission.
