JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 27-year-old Mt. Vernon man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to three of 10 counts of possessing child pornography.

The seven other Class 2 felony counts of possessing child pornography against Jacob Higgins were dismissed per the plea agreement.

Earlier in the final pre-trial hearing Tuesday, prosecutors filed a motion seeking to introduce other crimes against the defendant. However, Higgins instead pleaded guilty to Counts 1, 3, and 5 in the case and was sentenced to five years in prison on each of the three counts to be served consecutive.

Higgins’ guilty plea remands him into the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections and vacates the jury trial setting in the case scheduled for August 16.

Higgins was arrested in May after the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force of suspected child pornography activity in the area.

Sheriff’s Detective Bobby Wallace said after they confirmed criminal activity, a suspect, and the involved internet accounts, search warrants were obtained to access suspected accounts, which led to additional evidence and an additional search warrant for the residence at 813 S. 25th Street in Mt. Vernon.

The warrant was served on May 23rd and evidence was collected at the residence. Det. Wallace says 10 separate files of child pornography were discovered in a dropbox account associated with Higgins’ cell phone.

Deputies ultimately arrested Higgins who has remained in the Jefferson County Jail since that arrest with bail set at $200,000.