THREE MEN SENTENCED IN SEPARATE
SEX CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN

One Receives Mandatory Sentence of Natural Life in Prison

WHEATON – DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett announced today that three men have been sentenced this week to the Illinois Department of Corrections in separate sex-related crimes.

On Wednesday, Judge Kathryn Creswell sentenced Craig W. Smith, (d.o.b. 6/19/1947) 58, of Westmont, to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after Smith entered a plea of guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Disseminate Child Pornography, a Class 1 Felony.  The charges stem from an investigation in which police discovered Smith was in possession of and transmitting over the Internet photographs depicting children of all ages engaging in sex acts.  Also on Wednesday, Antonio Hernandez, (d.o.b. 7/25/1969) 36, of Bensenville, received a mandatory sentence of natural life in prison from Judge Creswell after being found guilty of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child involving two separate victims.  On Thursday, Judge George Bakalis sentenced former Supervisor at the Warrenville juvenile center Mark Duff, (d.o.b. 7/27/76), 29, of Dixon, to eleven years in prison on two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault for having sex with an underage female inmate at the facility.  Upon their release from prison, both Smith and Duff will have to register as convicted sex offenders and will submit a DNA sample for submission to the statewide DNA database. 

“I applaud the efforts of all of the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigations and prosecutions of these three men,” commented Birkett.  “Sex crimes against children, such as child pornography and its dissemination, sexual abuse and sexual assault, are extremely harmful not only to the general public but to society as a whole.  History has taught us that child pornography and child abuse go hand in hand.  In order to protect our children we must all work together to root out those dangerous predators who would harm our children.  We must talk to our children about what is and what is not acceptable behavior from adults and we must vigorously police the Internet.  The arrests and ultimate convictions of these three men are excellent examples of that effort.  The sentences handed down this week by Judge Creswell and Judge Bakalis will send a strong message of deterrence to others that child pornography and child sexual abuse and assault will be vigorously investigated and punished,” Birkett concluded.  

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