A former Wheaton College employee has been sentenced to four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a felony count of possession of child pornography, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office announced.
Benjamin Felker, 30, was initially charged with four felony counts of possession of child pornography, prosecutors said shortly after he was taken into custody.
Felker, of Wheaton, entered his guilty plea Tuesday before Judge Robert Miller, who handed down the sentence.
Wheaton police identified Felker’s home as possibly engaging in child pornography and executed a search warrant at the home in September 2016, prosecutors said.
In their search, investigators found dozens of videos and about 1,500 images depicting child pornography, prosecutors said.
At the time of his arrest, Felker worked at Wheaton College. He was put on unpaid leave after his arrest and was ultimately terminated.
“As a Christian community, Wheaton College fundamentally opposes the production and use of pornography, especially child pornography, which by its very nature exploits and victimizes the most vulnerable,” Wheaton College President Philip Ryken said in the statement at the time.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said the child pornography possessed by Felker was not associated with Wheaton College.
Felker has to serve 50 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole and will be required to register as a sex offender for life, Berlin said.
