Former Elgin cop gets 12 years in prison for possessing child porn

A former Elgin police officer convicted of owning child pornography has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Jordan Collins, 36, of Kirkland, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of child sexual abuse material in DeKalb County Circuit Court and was sentenced Tuesday by Judge Marcy Buick, a news release from the Illinois attorney general’s office said.

Collins was a five-year veteran of the Elgin Police Department in December 2023 when state investigators, assisted by the DeKalb County sheriff’s office, found evidence of child pornography in his home and arrested him while he was on duty in Elgin.

Elgin police put Collins on administrative leave following his arrest. Formally charged with eight counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of reproduction of child pornography, he resigned his job about three weeks later.

“The case is part of (Attorney General Kwame) Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online,” the release said.

The attorney general’s office jointly prosecuted the case with the DeKalb County state’s attorney’s office.

“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that anyone who preys upon and exploits victims online will be held accountable — including those in positions of authority,” Raoul said in the release.