Quincy man sentenced to 10 years in prison on child pornography, drug charges

QUINCY — A Quincy man was sentenced to 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on two child pornography charges and one drug charge.

Bryant Melton, 27, appeared with Public Defender Betsy Bier in Adams County Circuit Court on Monday morning before Circuit Judge Tad Brenner. 

Melton pled guilty to two counts of child pornography of a victim under the age of 13, both Class 2 felonies, and one count of manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance (heroin and fentanyl), also a Class 2 felony. A conviction by a jury for a Class 2 felony in Illinois carries a prison sentence ranging from seven to 14 years. Melton received 3½-year sentences for the child porn charges and three years for the manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance charge. The sentences must be served consecutively.

Charges of trafficking of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony, were dismissed as part of plea negotiations.

Quincy Police Department officers took a report in June from a person alleging they had received a nude image of a child from Melton over social media. Officers contacted Melton and recovered his cell phone. Quincy Police detectives viewed the contents of Melton’s cell phone in July 2024 and recovered other image files believed to be child pornography involving images of minors under 13 years of age.

Quincy Police detectives, assisted by QPD’s Special Investigative Unit and members of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force, executed a search warrant on July 17 in the 500 block of Monroe. Melton was located and arrested.

A search of the residence revealed additional electronic items, along with multiple items containing a white powdery residue believed to be heroin and fentanyl.

According to Adams County court records, Melton was indicted by an Adams County grand jury for delivery of heroin (1 to 15 grams) in April 2022. He was arrested on that indictment and released on $2,500 cash bond. While on bond for the heroin charge, Melton again was arrested in September 2023 for possession of methamphetamine and was released on a $750 cash bond. Melton again was arrested on June 18 on a new warrant for possession of a controlled substance, and he was again placed on pretrial release.

The status of each of those cases is unclear after Monday’s plea agreement.