* Farnham asked to die peacefully at home. That won’t happen. From a US Attorney’s office press release…
FORMER ILLINOIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE KEITH FARNHAM SENTENCED TO NINETY SIX MONTHS FOR TRANSPORTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Former Illinois State Rep. KEITH FARNHAM was sentenced to ninety six months in prison today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang as a result of his conviction of transporting child pornography via computers in his office and residence in Elgin last year. Farnham resigned his seat in the Illinois General Assembly in March 2014, less than a week after federal agents seized computers from his home and office.
Farnham, 67, of Elgin, was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. Farnham was ordered by Judge Chang to report to prison on May 19, 2015. Farnham will remain on a bond that restricts him to his home and requires around-the-clock electronic monitoring. “This is a despicable crime.” said District Court Judge Chang while imposing sentence. “The sex assaults of children in each of the 2700 images represent their own nightmare.”
Farnham pled guilty in December 2014, admitting that on November 25, 2013, he sent an email from a computer in his Elgin office with the following message: “do you trade. This is what I lik.” Farnham attached two files to the email that he knew contained child pornography. In addition, he possessed images and videos depicting child pornography on computers and electronic storage devices in his residence, car, and offices.
During the course of the investigation, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed federal search warrants at Farnham’s state office and residence in Elgin and seized computers and electronic storage devices. On the day the warrant was executed in March 2014, Farnham possessed no fewer than 2,765 images of real minors engaged in sexually explicit acts, including sexual intercourse, with prepubescent children. Some of the images involved sadistic or masochistic conduct and depictions of violence, according to Farnham’s guilty plea. According to the court documents, HSI agents were investigating information received from the HSI Cyber Crimes Center that an email address, later linked to Farnham, was being used to trade child pornography on the Internet.
“The defendant’s criminal conduct extends far beyond simply viewing sexually explicit photographs online. The defendant actively traded and bartered images and videos depicting child pornography, bragged to others about his own hands-on sexual abuse and exploitation of a six-year-old girl, and actively hid his tracks from law enforcement in order to continue his criminal conduct,” the government stated in its sentencing memorandum. “As an elected official, the defendant held himself out as being concerned about ‘protecting your children on the internet’ at the same time, however, he led another life, surfing the internet and message boards for sexually explicit images and further victimizing children of sexual abuse and exploitation.”
The sentence was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Gary Hartwig, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI in Chicago.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Storino and Michelle Petersen.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:04 am:
Less time than Blagojevich got? Seems wrong to me.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:06 am:
It’s a life sentence. It’s long enough.
- Because I Said So.... - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:06 am:
He didn’t live a dignified life so he doesn’t deserve the right to die with dignity. No sympathy from me.
- The Drummer - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:09 am:
“Die peacefully at home”?
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:10 am:
Good
- A guy - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:11 am:
From what I read this morning, this sentence covers the bases just fine. If what I read is true, there’s 90+ extra months just to make sure. While I don’t revel in anyone’s death, this guy does not deserve the comforts of home. He’s a very bad guy.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:11 am:
It may be life, but the message also needs to be sent. It should’ve been the max - 20 years, if for no other reason than to make a statement.
- Stones - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:14 am:
I don’t think he’s going to get any public sympathy. My feeling is the sentence was a bit too light.
- Wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:15 am:
Guess the old wheelchair and oxygen tank mobster ensemble for sentencing didn’t do the trick.
There were pictures of him walking and riding the el back in December.
- Illini97 - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:17 am:
Anyone know roughly how many months of the total sentence he absolutely must serve? Is it clear this is a life sentence for him?
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:19 am:
I honestly wish he were healthier so he could take in the comforts of the federal pen for a while. Death is the easy way out for him and he doesn’t deserve easy.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:19 am:
I hope he don’t have Internet privilege where’s he going.
- Wait, what? - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:21 am:
“…bragged to others about his own hands-on sexual abuse and exploitation of a six-year-old girl”
I may have missed this when it happened, but isn’t that a separate crime to be investigated?
- jerry 101 - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:40 am:
What a disgusting human being. The world will be a better place when he’s no longer in it.
- flea - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:45 am:
Illini97
85%
- LincolnLounger - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:46 am:
It’s one thing to ask to die at home, but the “in dignity” part really took some stones.
- D.P.Gumby - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:47 am:
Agree w/ the comment “less than Blago” illustrating what is wrong w/ sentencing priorities!
- Wensicia - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:57 am:
Well-deserved.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 11:59 am:
so according to most of you if he dies in the next couple of years they ought to keep his body there to do the full eight? Don’t want to let him off easy, do we?
- Amalia - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:01 pm:
yes, more serious than Blago. public corruption is just not as bad as physically assaulting a six year old (what about that case?!?) and contributing to the harm of 2700 children. we hope no more of this kind of thing, but this is the kind of case that has wide impact on lives. more of this kind of prosecution, please.
- I hate Ravinia - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:02 pm:
hey Lisa Madigan, yuo want to earn some props from me? Farnham admitted to using his state-owned computer to download child porn. This felony conviction directly relates to his official duties as a state representative. Make the move and strip him of his pension.
- MrJM - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:04 pm:
Sometimes I find myself wondering why Farnham didn’t end it all and spare his family his trial, sentencing and imprisonment.
“The defendant *** bragged to others about his own hands-on sexual abuse and exploitation of a six-year-old girl”
Then I remember who he is and it makes a lot more sense.
– MrJM
- How Ironic - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:05 pm:
@Steve Schnorf:
“so according to most of you if he dies in the next couple of years they ought to keep his body there to do the full eight? ”
Not sure if that’s a poor attempt at humor, or if you feel a pedophile is getting too harsh of a sentence.
He took pleasure in the abuse of minor children. He should get no compassion in the form of being able to ‘die at home’.
If he passes away in prison, so be it. It’s the sentence he brought upon himself.
- Snucka - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:07 pm:
Illini97 - he would be eligible for early release in about 6.5 years.
- Aldyth - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:30 pm:
Spending the rest of his days in jail, however long that is, will not be long enough.
- Quiet Sage - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:32 pm:
hisgirlfriday@11:04 am
Agree. Gross disproportion between Farnham’s sentence and those of Blago and Ryan.
- downstate commissioner - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:37 pm:
Can excuse a lot of stuff, but nothing to do with the sexual misuse of a small child; prison of any sort is too good for him. If somebody got to one of my grandchildren, and I got to him before the cops, the only trial would be mine…
- anon - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:41 pm:
Farnham reminds me of a guy years ago who told the Judge, “I’m old and sick and cant’ do 8 years in prison!” The Judge replied, “Just do the best you can”. I hope Keith lives a l-o-n-g time in prison.
- Illini97 - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:55 pm:
Count me in the camp that thinks the 6.5 years (minimum) he was given is a bit light.
- Casual Observer - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:56 pm:
“On your deathbed you will achieve total consciousness.”
What’s that going to be like, Mr. Farnham?
- Wumpus - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 1:06 pm:
He got less time than JJJJJJJJJJJJ?
- A guy - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 1:22 pm:
== How Ironic - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 12:05 pm:===
HI, I don’t think Schnorf or anyone else would attempt to minimize this guy’s trespasses. He’s a creep by every measure. But he can only die once and he’ll die in prison. That’s as much justice as can be meted out.
- nona - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 1:45 pm:
== If he passes away in prison, so be it. It’s the sentence he brought upon himself.==
If he spends his last few months in a prison hospital, that will surely be at higher cost to taxpayers than for the average prisoner in Club Fed.
- Lil Squeezy - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 1:57 pm:
I Hate Ravania,
You’re kidding right? Do you think there is any chance that Farnham will keep his pension or that there will be a need for the AG to weigh in?
- john doe - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 2:33 pm:
Finally, a topic we can all agree on.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 2:37 pm:
He needs to rot his last four months. No sympathy for him on this. I would be outraged at the sentencing guidelines if he was healthy, but since he is terminally ill, I do not think that is worth the energy..
- I hate Ravinia - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 3:04 pm:
Lil Squeezy: You think he’s going to forfeit his pension voluntarily? Doubtful.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 3:40 pm:
let no one ever again say this site is populated by mushy-hearted liberals
- RealChicagoHousewife - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 4:00 pm:
He was given 60 days to report to prison and his doctors give him about 3 months to live so he just might die at home.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 4:14 pm:
Just put him in jail, then let the other residents know what he did to get himself in prison
- Levois - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 5:38 pm:
I just read more than I wanted to read about this. I knew he’d been charged with child pornography but these extra details are even more disgusting.
- Lucylongears - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 6:25 pm:
As a child abuse survivor, I wanted to cry when I heard this sentence. At 56, I can still recall the trauma don’t to me, but it does not define me. This PREDATOR deserved a longer sentence in a federal prison where he isn’t protected. Unfortunately, he will be treated like a human being instead of the disgusting animal he really is.
- Greta - Thursday, Mar 19, 15 @ 8:02 pm:
Why the delay sending this disgrace to prison? He deserves to experience it for as long as he is alive. That being said, I rather question how ill he is. At the time he was seen in court with the oxygen mask, plenty of people in the Elgin area saw at the grocery store and driving around town without it. One woman even went to the press when she said that it was uncomfortable being at AA meetings with him. (Again, there as no mask.) I also agree with those who feel the sentence was light. He deserves a lot more time than Blagojevich!