Peru Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison For Possession of Child Pornography

SOUTH BEND - Dex Dilan Willard, Jr., 38 years old, of Peru, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

Willard was sentenced to 46 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release. Restitution is deferred until the restitution hearing on September 29, 2026.

"The Defendant will serve nearly four years in the Bureau of Prisons and five years of supervised release thereafter for possessing video portraying child sexual abuse involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years of age. Possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime, as a child was violated during its creation. Possessors of such deviant material continue to harm the innocent child victim into perpetuity, so long as the porn exists and they create a deplorable black market for the evil material. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Indiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew A. Krumwied and former Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones. Our children are safer because of their efforts," said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew A. Krumwied and former Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..