PEORIA, Ill. – A West Virginia truck driver got federal prison time from a Peoria federal judge after pleading guilty to child sex-related charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Michael Leonard, 53, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison after his guilty plea last September to charges of Attempted Trafficking of a Minor.
Prosecutors say Leonard initiated an online conversation with a woman thought to be the mother of a nine-year-old girl in August of 2020 that he thought was offering sex with the daughter.
A year later, officials say Leonard tried again, offering $50 for the meetup.
The FBI arrested Leonard when it came time for the two sides to get together at a Central Illinois location. He admitted to agents he intented to have sex with the girl, and also admitted to having hundreds of images of child pornography on his cell phone.
Leonard was also ordered to pay $49,000 in restitution to victims of child pornography that was believed to be stored in his phone.
