Sycamore man admits child porn charges

ROCKFORD - A Sycamore man pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges Friday. Dennis C. Eichelberger, 54, formerly of the 400 block of South California Avenue, admitted to transporting and shipping child pornography across state lines, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern Illinois. Eichelberger still faces several charges in DeKalb County regarding alleged abuse of an animal. Eichelberger has been and continues to be held in federal custody without bond and will have a sentencing hearing on June 11. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the federal charges. The FBI arrested Eichel-berger on Sept. 4, 2003, after federal agents concluded he was allegedly transmitting computer images of child pornography over the Internet. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eichelberger confessed to using different screen names on his Internet service to view, send and receive child pornography online. Eichelberger also reportedly admitted to being part of several Internet groups whose members share child pornography via e-mail. In June 2003, FBI agents searched Eichelberger's apartment and found videotape with around three hours of child pornography as well as printed images depicting toddlers and prepubescent children engaged in sex acts with adults. The federal agents also discovered evidence concerning sexual conduct with an animal. A DeKalb County grand jury indicted Eichelberger on Sept. 18, 2003, on five counts of sexual conduct with an animal, a Class 4 felony, that include performing sex acts on a dog, aiding others in performing sex acts on a dog, inviting others to his home to perform sex acts on a dog and engaging in sexual conduct with an animal for recreational purposes. If convicted, Eichelberger faces one to three years in prison, up to two years' probation and up to $25,000 in fines. Officials from the Sycamore Police Department and the State's Attorney's Office were unavailable Friday to comment on Eichelberger's charges. Paul L. Mikolajczyk can be reached at pmikolajczyk@ pulitzer.net.