Former Wheaton College Professor Pleads Guilty to Child Porn

A former Wheaton College professor pleaded guilty to aggravated child pornography possession on Monday, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

When Donald Ratcliff is sentenced Oct. 9, he faces a term of three to seven years in prison. Probation is also an option for sentencing, according to the Trib.

Ratcliff, 62, of 1N54 Falcon Trail in Carol Stream, originally was charged in March 2012, after an undercover operation conducted by the Carol Stream Police Department. Police found 500 illegal images on a computer in Ratcliff's home, and said that the former professor had been making the pornography available for download on the Internet. Ratcliff eventually admitted to having acquired the pornography. 

He originally faced numerous other charges in connection with his arrest, but prosecutors dropped those in exchange for his guilty plea Monday.

According to Wheaton College, Ratcliff had been a professor of Christian Education and a faculty member since 2006, but was fired from his position shortly after charges were filed last year.

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