Lawrence County man sentenced to 20 years in prison

Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 11:17 AM

By Steve Anderson

Lawrence County States Attorney Brady Waldrop says that a local man will spend close to two decades in prison on sex crime offenses.

45-year-old Justin Cox of Bridgeport was charged with 2 counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 2 Illinois Felony and 2 counts of Child Pornography, a Class 1 Illinois Felony by Bridgeport Police in February of 2025. During an appearance in Lawrence County Circuit Court, Cox was sentenced to 7 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) on each Criminal Sexual Abuse charge and 6 years in the IDOC on each Child Pornography charge. The sex abuse sentences will run concurrently while the child pornography sentences will run consecutive to each other and to each of the sexual abuse sentences. Cox will also face 1 year of mandatory supervised release on each count after his release from prison.