SPRINGFIELD, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A Springfield man was sentenced to 19 years in prison for distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. Adam J. Heintzman, 26, formerly of Emden, Illinois, was found to have possessed over 200,000 images of child pornography.

During the investigation, authorities uncovered that Heintzman had expressed a preference for children under 10 years old and had engaged in conversations about sexually abusing a child.

At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless noted the severity of Heintzman’s actions, including the number of images, the age of the children depicted, and the sadistic nature of some of the content.

Heintzman received an additional seven years of supervised release following his prison term, and he was also ordered to pay over $80,000 in restitution to his victims. Heintzman had pleaded guilty to the charges on December 21, 2023, after waiving indictment in federal court.