FAYETTE COUNTY — A 27-year-old Jacksonville man was sentenced in Fayette County court this week to 5-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after he pleaded guilty to the indecent solicitation of a minor that was live-streamed on social media.
Kyle Upchurch, who was already a registered sexual predator, was arrested while waiting to meet a 14-year-old girl at the Walmart in Vandalia.
Unbeknownst to Upchurch, the meeting was a sting like situation much like the televised programs designed to catch child sex predators and arranged by an online group named KTS Predator Hunters who also live-streamed the arrest. According to their Facebook page, they work with the local state’s attorneys. Local law enforcement is on hand to make the arrests.
Upchurch’s arrest was live-streamed on the KTS Facebook page (strong language alert) His bail
He was originally charged with Class 2 felony indecent solicitation of a child with the intent of committing a criminal sexual assault of what he reportedly believed was a 14-year-old girl, Class 3 felony traveling to meet a minor and Class 4 felony grooming.
Upchurch pleaded guilty this week to the Class 2 charge in exchange for the other two charges being dismissed. He was given credit for 57 days served since his August arrest. In addition to his 5-year prison sentence, he’ll have to serve 2-years mandatory supervised release and pay more than $1,300 in fines and fees.
Upchurch was previously convicted in Cass County on a 2013 charge of Class 2 felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl when he was 20.