A U.S. Marine Corps recruiter assigned to the Lake County area was arrested after investigators found him with images and videos of child pornography, prosecutors said.
James R. Wallace, 35, was charged with four felony counts of child pornography possession, court records show.
Wallace, an active duty staff sergeant with the U.S. Marine Corps, surrendered to authorities after a warrant for his arrest was issued on Tuesday.
The investigation was led by the Cyber Crimes Division of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office said that Cyber Crimes Division investigators received a tip earlier this year about an individual having access to a digital dropbox that contained illegal images.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office worked with local NCIS investigators to identify Wallace as a suspect.
Through the use of a search warrant and forensic analysis, Lake County State’s Attorney’s Investigator Wendy Dumont discovered two images and two videos of child pornography on the man’s cellular device.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said there would be a new focus on prosecuting child pornography in his office.
“We will never stop searching for these offenders in every corner of the web and the county. These cases are a top priority for our office, and we are constantly seeking new technology to protect the children of Lake County and northern Illinois,” Rinehart said.
A Lake County judge set Wallace’s bond at $500,000. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 9.
Anyone who has concerns about whether Wallace had inappropriate contact with minors is encouraged to call their home law enforcement agency, prosecutors said.