Altamont Man Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft, Extortion, and Child Pornography Offenses
On September 14, 2015, Stephen B. Mislich, 24, of Bowling Green, Ohio, formerly of Altamont, Illinois, pled guilty to identity theft, extortion, and child pornography offenses, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.
Evidence at the plea hearing established that Mislich stole the online identity of a victim from Effingham County, Illinois, and then used that identity to extort and attempt to extort nude images and videos form several other victims in the area. One of the victims was 16 years old at the time of the offense and the images Mislich forced her to produce constituted child pornography under federal law.
The offenses carry a maximum penalty of 63 years in federal prison, $2,000,000 in fines, and a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is currently scheduled to occur on December 29, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. Mislich continues to be held without bond pending sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Effingham Police Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Thomas E. Leggans.
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Illinois
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