Buffalo Grove youth group leader admits to child porn charge

A Buffalo Grove youth group leader was sentenced to 30 months of probation after pleading guilty Wednesday to possession of child pornography.

Harry O. Jones, 44, also must perform 200 hours of community service, register as a sex offender for life, and spend 180 days in the Lake County jail, as part of the plea deal entered before Judge James Booras.

However, Jones, of the 1300 block of Green Knolls Drive, can avoid serving the jail time if he completes all the other requirements of his sentence, Lake County prosecutor Mary Stanton said. He will serve his probation in Indiana, where he plans to move, she added.

Although the sentence bars Jones from having contact with children under the age of 18, he will be allowed supervised visits with his own children, Booras said. He could eventually earn unsupervised visits if he successfully completes sex offender treatment.

Jones initially was charged with three counts of disseminating child pornography and seven counts of possession of child pornography, after his Feb. 5 arrest, authorities said.

The remaining charges were dropped as part of the negotiated plea deal, Stanton said.

Authorities used search warrants at Jones' home and Lake Forest office to seize an "extensive amount" of images and videos identified as child pornography, officials said.

It also was determined Jones distributed several images containing child pornography, depicting children under the age of 13, according to police.

Jones was an active member and leader of several youth organizations, including a suburban Mormon Church youth group and a Boy Scouts group, authorities said.

None of the pornographic photos are of children in any of those groups, officials said.