A Mercer County child porn suspect has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. The punishment handed down to 60-year-old James Pierson of New Windsor Tuesday afternoon in Mercer County Circuit Court following his guilty plea to a Class X felony. As part of a negotiated plea, two other Class X felonies were dismissed.
Pierson must serve 85-percent of his sentence and register as a sex offender for life. He was also fined $2,000. Pierson was taken into custody in February of 2020 after a multi-agency investigation involving Illinois State Police, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Kewanee Police Department, New Windsor Police Department, Illinois Attorney General’s office and federal authorities. He had been in custody on $500,000 bond since his arrest.