Winnebago County man gets 12 years for child pornography

A north-central Illinois man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for possessing child pornography.

Robert Rossi, 40, pleaded guilty in June to one count of possessing child pornography, according to a statement from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office. Winnebago County Judge John Lowry sentenced him Wednesday to 12 years in prison.

Investigators executed a search warrant on Rossi’s Machesney Park home in June 2015 and found evidence that child pornography was being reproduced, prosecutors said. Machesney Park is about seven miles northwest of Rockford.

“Reproducing child pornography perpetuates the sexual assault of children and only causes further devastation to the victims,” Madigan said in the statement. “We will continue to be relentless in apprehending offenders who download and trade these horrific images.”