Bloomington Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

PEORIA, Ill. - Jason Alan Isaacson, 46, of Bloomington, Illinois, was sentenced November 3, 2026, to 25 years in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Isaacson sent videos of himself to someone he believed to be 13 years of age, calling her his "daughter," saying he wanted to engage in sexual relations with her, and requesting that she send him explicit pictures. Isaacson also sent explicit photos and videos of himself and a text indicating he would send money to the minor for her to fix her phone, so she could send sexually explicit images and videos of herself to him.

Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley noted that the public needed to be protected from Isaacson and that the 25-year sentence he was imposing served that purpose.

Isaacson was indicted in December 2025 and pleaded guilty in July 2026.

"Our children deserve to be protected," said United States Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. "We remain committed to partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to hold these offenders accountable, bring them to justice, and remove these predators from our communities to protect vulnerable children from further harm."

"Online child predators, particularly repeat offenders, cause lasting harm to innocent victims and the community. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to protecting young people online," Resident Agent in Charge of the Springfield Resident Office David Bolin said. "This lengthy sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to exploit children. Thanks to the Bloomington Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois for their collaboration in bringing this repeat offender to justice."

"It is in the very best interest of our community and those we serve, to work diligently to solve these types of crimes and protect the vulnerable," said Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington. "The assigned officers and detectives uncovered criminal behavior through in-depth evidence analysis and deliberate teamwork. I applaud their professionalism and commitment to serve, which resulted in a criminal conviction. I am also grateful for the efforts and partnership of the United States Attorney's Office and the United States Secret Service in holding offenders accountable, pursuing justice, and protecting the vulnerable."

The United States Secret Service and the Bloomington Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Hitzeman represented the government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.