Mendota man sentenced to three years in prison

OTTAWA – A Mendota man has been sentenced to three years in prison for child pornography and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Brett W. Merritt, 55, pleaded guilty in May and the sentence was announced Aug. 16 by Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr.

Merritt was eligible for probation and could have been sentenced to up to seven years in prison. Although Merritt pleaded guilty, admitted to showing remorse and participated in voluntary sex offender treatment, Judge Ryan stated that probation was not a sufficient punishment given the seriousness of the offence.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Ryan also pointed out that a 49-year-old man (Merritt's age at the start of the relationship) should have been aware of the lack of decision-making capacity of a 14-year-old.

Merritt was given a week from the time of sentencing to get his business affairs in order before going to prison. With credit for time served in an ankle bracelet due to a pre-trial release and other factors, Merritt could be released from prison as early as 2025.

Merritt was arrested on July 11, 2023, after two LaSalle County search warrants were executed, one of which was for Merritt's home at 803 14^th Ave., and the other location was his place of business at 800 Monroe St., Mendota. His arrest followed a six-month investigation into several different crimes.