PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin man has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, 33-year-old Jeffrey L. Gualandi Jr. was sentenced October 27 to 46 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Gualandi will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to victims identified in the images.
Federal prosecutors say investigators executed a search warrant at Gualandi’s Pekin residence in July 2024.
During the search, law enforcement officers discovered six electronic devices containing 653 images classified as child sexual abuse material.
Gualandi was indicted in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in February 2026.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley emphasized the seriousness of the offense, noting that the images involved real victims.
“These types of cases will be vigorously prosecuted by this Office because of the ongoing trauma they cause these vulnerable children,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
Ortiz said victims are harmed not only when the material is produced, but also each time it is viewed.
FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley said individuals who collect and possess child sexual abuse material contribute to the continued exploitation of children.
The case was investigated by the Pekin Police Department and the FBI’s Springfield Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa P. Ortiz and Douglas F. McMeyer prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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