A former police officer from Monticello, Illinois, has been sentenced to over 30 years in prison for involvement with child sex abuse material.
William “Craig” Griswold, aged 40, was in court on Tuesday and received his sentence after pleading guilty in March to two charges. Both charges involved reproducing child pornography featuring a victim younger than 13 years old.
During the court proceedings, new evidence was presented, accompanied by sworn statements from the prosecution. Once the state concluded its presentation, the defense offered their arguments and recommendations before Judge Gary Webber issued his sentencing decision.
Griswold was sentenced to 18 years in prison for each count, with the sentences to be served consecutively — a total of 36 years behind bars.
“I am pleased with the outcome of the sentencing hearing, and I believe it was a just resolution of this case,” Piatt County State’s Attorney Sarah Perry said in a news release. “I appreciate the efforts of all involved, including the investigation conducted by the Illinois State Police and the collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office in prosecuting this case.”
The offices of the Illinois Attorney General and the Piatt County State’s Attorney charged Griswold with four counts in August of 2024. The Illinois State Police reported that multiple tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) pointed them toward Griswold and he was arrested on Aug. 13 following a search warrant.
Griswold resigned as a police officer the day after he was arrested.
In March, Griswold reached a plea deal with prosecutors that saw him plead guilty to two counts. The other two — both for reproducing a moving depiction of child pornography — were dismissed.
On Tuesday, in sentencing Griswold to 36 years in prison, Judge Webber stipulated that the sentences were to be served at 50% and that Griswold would receive credit for 287 days he’s already served in custody. He will be required to serve three years of mandatory supervised release when he gets out, and Griswold will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
“Child exploitation is a horrific crime that is made even more reprehensible when the alleged offender is a member of law enforcement who has sworn to protect families,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “This sentence sends the message that offenders who commit these crimes will be held accountable – no matter who they are. I will continue to partner with local law enforcement officers and state’s attorneys to obtain justice for survivors.”
Court records show Griswold was remanded to the custody of the Piatt County Sheriff’s Office until he can be transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
