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Southwestern Illinois man sentenced on federal child porn charges

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 2:26 PM

By Steve Anderson

A Richland County man has been given time in federal prison for the production of child pornography.

49-year-old George Grove of Olney was sentenced to 40 years in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft.

Those charges stem from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, Richland County Sheriff's Department and Olney Police into the creation of videos of child sexual abuse on a cellphone involving a 13-year-old juvenile victim back in July of 2024. It was also discovered during the investigation that grove exchanged alcohol, drugs, and money with minors for nude photographs and sex.