Chicago man gets 9 years for posting child porn on Flickr

A Chicago man who pleaded guilty to uploading child pornography to his Flickr account has been sentenced to nine years in prison.

Preston Heinenmann, 34, pleaded guilty to disseminating child porn, a Class X felony, according to a statement from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He was sentenced this week to nine years in prison by Judge Carol Howard.

According to prosecutors, the Cook County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force launched an investigation after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

They found that Heinenmann had uploaded pornographic images of children to his Flickr account online, prosecutors said. In May 2012, investigators spoke to Heinenmann and learned he had set up the account jointly with a friend, who is a registered sex offender, because the friend could not legally access the Internet.

Investigators removed computer hardware from his home and a forensic analysis revealed hundreds of images and videos of child porn, including children under the age of 13. Heinenmann also emailed videos to several people in January and February 2012, prosecutors said.

Heinenmann will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.