Mascoutah man sentenced for child sexual assault, production of child porn

A Mascoutah man was sentenced this week to 43 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child and producing child pornography.

Zachery Ashby, 31, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of production of child pornography, which are all Class X felonies.

St. Clair County Circuit Judge Zina Cruse handed down the prison sentence Tuesday, court records show.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office led the investigation in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement agencies, according to a news release.

Raoul’s investigators and officers from the Mascoutah Police Department conducted a search of Ashby’s residence in Mascoutah in May 2024, the release states.

“This sentence will prevent other children from being abused and represents justice for the innocent children and families who were victimized through these heinous crimes,” Raoul stated in the release. “I am committed to helping victims and their families heal from trauma, including by holding the perpetrators accountable.”

The Attorney General’s Office runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Raoul noted that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse can be reported at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov.

This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 6:08 PM.