A Springfield, Illinois man will serve a hard 35 years behind bars for his unspeakable crimes against children. James Simons, 32, was handed the hefty sentence on April 23, for acts including sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography. The sentence, issued by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, also includes a subsequent lifetime of supervised release.

Simons, residing at the 2000 block of South 5th Street and already marked by the state as a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty last December. The vile acts he admitted to ranged from trying to lure a minor to the distribution and reception of explicit child materials, recorded by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois.

In the case laid out before the court, it was demonstrated that for his sexual gratification, Simons coerced children into producing and sending him sexual images. Notably, between August 13 and August 28, 2020, he preyed on what he believed was a 15-year-old, brazenly ignoring their age and deliberating sexual activities with them, as per the prosecution's findings.

In a twist of fate that saw justice served, Simons was arrested on August 28, 2020, after attempting to go to the minor's residence, having been convinced the unsuspecting child was alone. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs pointed out the importance of the sentence, telling the U.S. Attorney’s Office that it sends "a strong message to every perpetrator" about the serious consequences of such heinous actions.

Simons' indictment came in September 2020, and he's been cooling his heels in U.S. Marshals’ custody since the day of his blundering attempt to meet the child. The FBI's Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge, David Nanz, spoke to the dedication of agents and law enforcement partners in working "to stop perpetrators who harm our children."

The thorough investigation that led to Simon's sentencing was a collective effort by multiple federal and local agencies. Beyond the FBI's Springfield Field Office, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield Police Department, and the Illinois State Police were all instrumental in wrapping up the case. The effort is part of the wider Project Safe Childhood initiative, aimed at curbing child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide.