New Lenox man gets 10 years for trading child porn

A southwest suburban man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Thursday for trading dozens of photos and videos of child pornography.

Terence Meagher, 47, pleaded guilty last year to one count of transportation of child porn, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer sentenced him Thursday to 124 months in prison.

Meagher, a New Lenox resident, used the screen name trckgirl69 to trade images and videos via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network on the Internet, a statement from prosecutors said.

“Many of the images depicted real prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including portrayals of sadistic and masochistic activity,” prosecutors said. Meagher also unknowingly shared 88 pornographic images with an undercover law enforcement officer.

In his plea agreement, Meagher admitted that in January 2008, he photographed the “private area” of a child younger than 12, prosecutors said.

“By distributing child pornography, through trades with others who sought child pornography, defendant continued the victimization of children who have been filmed or photographed engaging in acts no child should be part of,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Edenfield argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s distribution of child pornography was frequent and extremely serious.”