Red Bud man sentenced to 25 years for child pornography

A Red Bud man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography, according to a news release from the office of the U.S. Attorney for Southern Illinois.

Michael B. Stephens, Jr., 43, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sexually exploiting a teenage girl in November of 2016.

Stephens videotaped himself engaging in sex with a girl and was both physically and verbally abusive to her, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

In addition to the 25-year sentence, Stephens also will have 10 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. As a result of his conviction, Stephens also has to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

The Monroe County State’s Attorney’s Office initially filed charges against Stephens, but those will be dismissed in light of the federal case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The case was referred to federal authorities by Monroe County.

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 3:05 PM.