LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA)–A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 17.5 years followed by 20 years of supervised release for the possession of child pornography.
Dakota Flint, of Campus, previously was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assaults, according to officials.
During the hearing, the government showed that Flint operated on the Dark Web as an “acid man.” He used websites to distribute child pornography and discussed engaging in hands-on sex offenses. He also inquired how to sedate children and bragged about the assaults’ he committed or planned to. There were 4,000 child photos discovered. Further analysis showed Flint took videos of girls. One of the image(s) and video possessed by Flint is involved in another investigation, said officials.
Judge James Shadid stated that Flint’s use of the dark net to hide his activities and identity online was a factor that he considered in imposing the sentence.
Flint pled guilty in January 2022 and has been in the custody of the US Marshals since.
HSI investigated the case, along with the Livingston County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office, Will County, Coal City, Illinois Police Department, Dwight Illinois Police Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, HSI Cyber Crimes Center assisted the investigation as well. Assistant US Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna and Paul B. Morris represented the government in the prosecution.