Chicago, IL—(ENEWSPF)— A federal judge sentenced a Park Forest man to 48 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

TERCALO E. THOMAS enticed, persuaded, and used a prepubescent minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, which he recorded.  Thomas then trafficked the images as barter. His goal was to amass a vast collection of images of other children’s sexual abuse.  At the time of his arrest in April 2022, Thomas possessed on his cell phone more than 1,500 images depicting child sex abuse.

Thomas, 35, of Park Forest, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to:

• one count of sexual exploitation of a minor
• and one count of possession of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the 48-year prison sentence during a hearing on Jan. 22, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.

Guilty Plea in 2025

Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, announced the sentence.

“Defendant was an avid collector of child exploitation images, particularly of prepubescent children,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.  “Unsatisfied by his depraved collection, he created his own. The seriousness of this offense cannot be overstated.”

Park Forest Police Worked the Initial Investigation

According to a release from the Park Forest Police Department, Park Forest detectives worked the case. They put in “countless hours during the initial investigation” to secure state charges. They later coordinated extensively with federal officials to pursue and secure federal charges, the department said in the statement.

“The Park Forest Police Department would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration and dedication during this investigation,” the statement said.

2023 Indictment

Police indicted Thomas in February 2023. At his indictment, he pleaded not guilty.

According to the indictment, Thomas produced the child pornography after inducing and enticing the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.  He also possessed a cell phone that contained images of a prepubescent minor who had not attained 12 years of age, the indictment stated.

The federal indictment charged Thomas with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of an electronic device containing child pornography.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678.  The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sources: Department of Justice and Park Forest Police Department