An Oaklawn, Illinois man who Valparaiso Police said persuaded a girl to text
him nude photos of herself and tried to persuade her to have sex with him is
facing six months in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of
child pornography, the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
Jacob C. Fant, 35, was charged in June 2011 with child solicitation and two
counts of possession of child pornography.
Child solicitation is a Class C felony punishable by a term of two to eight
years; possession of child pornography, a Class D felony punishable by a
term of six months to three years.
Under a deal with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Fant has agreed to
plead guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, with a
recommended sentence of three years, all but six months to be suspended and
served on formal probation. Fant may also request a community corrections
alternative of one year of home detention with GPS monitoring and
day-reporting, according to court documents.
In addition, Fant would have to complete a Project PRO psychosexual
evaluation and participate in therapy as a condition of probation.
In exchange for his plea, the other two counts would be dismissed.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 23 before Porter Superior
Court Judge Bill Alexa.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by VPD Det. Philip Rochon,
the father of the girl in question—who is younger than 16—reported that his
daughter had texted nude photos of herself to Fant, who used to be a
neighbor and formerly baby-sat for her. The father was himself informed by
Fant’s wife, who found the photos on Fant’s cell phone, Rochon stated.
The girl, for her part, advised that she had had a relationship over the
phone and Internet with Fant, who had found her on MySpace shortly after she
moved to Valparaiso, Rochon stated.
Fant sent the girl “many text messages that they should meet up sometime and
have sex” and also frequently asked her for “naked pictures,” which she sent
“to keep him quiet,” Rochon stated.
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