BELVIDERE — A 69-year-old Belvidere man was sentenced to 12 years in prison as the result of an international child pornography investigation, the Boone County State’s Attorney’s Office reported.

John E. Stary pleaded guilty Wednesday, Jan. 3, to three counts of possession of child pornography involving a child younger than 13. Circuit Judge C. Robert Tobin also ordered that Stary be on supervised released for three years to life. He must also register as a sex offender.

The sentence stems from an investigation of an image-hosting website that included pictures officials in Australia traced to Boone County. The Department of Homeland Security then traced them to Stary in August 2016. R.