BELVIDERE — A Belvidere man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for possessing photos depicting child pornography, according to Boone County prosecutors.

John E. Stary, 69, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts of possession of child pornography depicting a child younger than 13, according to the Boone County State’s Attorney’s Office and court records. Circuit Judge C. Robert Tobin III sentenced Stary to the prison term and between three years to life on mandatory supervised release.

Prosecutors charged Stary in September 2016. The charges came after detectives in Australia monitored an image-hosting website and traced photos posted on that site to Boone County in August. They then contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to prosecutors. DHS investigators discovered that Stary posted those photos, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Kristen Zambo: 815-987-1339; kzambo@rrstar.com; @KristenZambo