St. Charles, IL – A St. Charles Township man has been sentenced to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, Phillip E. Obenauf entered the plea to one count of Child Pornography, a Class X felony. Judge Tegeler accepted the plea agreement, which also requires Obenauf to register as a lifetime sex offender under the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act.
Prosecutors said investigators with the Kane County Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant on Aug. 30, 2023, at a residence on Bittersweet Road in St. Charles Township. Authorities seized multiple electronic devices belonging to Obenauf. An examination of the devices allegedly revealed that Obenauf had sent a video containing child sexual abuse material to another Instagram user.
Under Illinois law, Obenauf is eligible for day-for-day sentencing credit. He will receive credit for 731 days already served in the Kane County Jail and an additional 42 days of pre-plea credit, totaling 773 days.
Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Rodgers said offenders in such cases repeatedly victimize children each time the material is viewed or shared. Rodgers commended the Kane County Child Exploitation Unit for its ongoing efforts in identifying and apprehending such offenders.
Obenauf will serve his sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections and will be subject to lifetime monitoring as part of his registration requirements.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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