Pekin man pleaded guilty Thursday to distributing child pornography and impersonating a US Marshal.
The Department of Justice says in a news release says 30-year-old Arthur Wheeler faces a 20-year federal prison sentence.
According to court documents, Wheeler obtained nude photos from a female minor in Missouri on his phone and by accessing the minor’s Facebook account.
The forensic review found Wheeler then texted naked images of the minor to about 120 people.
Wheeler remains in custody of the US marshals pending his sentencing hearing. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 23, 2016.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, established by the Department of Justice.