A man from Bloomington, Illinois, who identifies as a transgender woman, has been sentenced to 87 years in prison after admitting to child grooming and two counts of sexual assault against a victim under the age of 13. Michelle Blessent, previously known as James, was sentenced to 42 years for each count of predatory criminal sexual assault, with an additional three years for the grooming charge. These sentences will run consecutively, resulting in a total of 87 years in prison.

A Bloomington, Ill. trans pedophile was sentenced to 87 years in prison after admitting guilt to child gr—ming and two counts of predatory s—xual assault of a victim under 13. Blessent was arrested back on April 12, 2023 before recently being sentenced.

Michelle Blessent,… pic.twitter.com/1DkUOCYlxt

— Andy Ngo 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 17, 2024

“The men and women of the Bloomington Police Department strive to hold violent offenders accountable through diligent and effective investigations,” Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington stated, according to WGLT. “The unfortunate victims in these cases deserve the best possible outcomes, and I pray the deliverance of justice helps with the healing process.”

Illinois sentencing laws require that 85 percent of sentences related to criminal sexual assault must be served, making Blessent ineligible for parole until 2095. Blessent was arrested in April 2023 and attempted to claim that his cross-sex hormones impacted his ability to commit the crimes due to difficulty maintaining an erection.

Local Illinois news outlet WMBD referred to Blessent as a “Bloomington woman” and used “she” pronouns in their coverage. The outlet did not mention that Blessent identifies as transgender or that he has male genitalia. Additionally, some leftist groups online criticized the Bloomington Police for allowing social media posts related to the case to include “transphobic” comments in response to the incident.