A judge denied pre-trial release to a man caught with thousands of videos and photos of child pornography while residing at a home in Grayslake where an in-house daycare was being operated.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said sheriff’s detectives conducted an investigation after learning videos containing child pornography were being downloaded and shared from a residence in the 1200 block of Chesterfield Lane in Grayslake.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said Facebook and Snapchat reported the incidents which spurred the investigation.
Detectives applied for and obtained a search warrant for the home. They conducted the search warrant at the residence on July 19.
Just prior to detectives entering the home, one of the people living at the home, 52-year-old Jose Real, appeared to hide his cell phone in a potted plant, Covelli said.
Sheriff’s detectives were able to quickly find the hidden phone, which they seized.
Detectives conducted a forensic examination of the phone, which required bypassing the phone’s passcode.
Covelli said over 1,000 videos and images of child pornography, some of which involved children as young as infants, were located on the phone.
“Based on the evidence, they determined Real was responsible for downloading and sharing the child pornography videos,” Covelli said.
McConnell said somewhere between 1,500 to 3,000 videos and photos of child pornography have been identified so far in the man’s possession.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Real for three counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies.
Real was arrested by sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday without incident.
Detectives learned during the investigation that Real’s family member runs a daycare out of the same home he lives in.
Covelli said sheriff’s detectives are actively investigating to determine if any of the recovered child pornography is linked to the children who were being supervised at the home.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office asked the community to speak to their children about inappropriate touching and grooming. “If you feel your child has been victimized, please contact your local law enforcement agency.”
McConnell said Real is suspected to have also distributed the child pornography through Telegram and WhatsApp and the investigation is ongoing. Covelli said additional charges are likely in the case.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Real in custody while awaiting trial.
McConnell said that Real was interviewed following his arrest and admitted to watching the child pornography, saying that “everyone does it.”
McConnell called it a “horrific offense” and said Real is “clearly a threat to children” in arguing for his detainment.
During a detention hearing Friday afternoon, Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Real to be held in the Lake County Jail pending trial after granting the petition.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart credited the SAFE-T Act following the court hearing.
“With the SAFE-T Act, we are able to keep our children safe from predators like this one. Under the cash system, based on preliminary data, seven out of every 10 offenders charged with child pornography were posting large amounts of cash and getting out on bail. Ever since the SAFE-T Act went into effect, we have held EVERY offender being charged with possession of child pornography,” Rinehart said.
The state’s attorney’s office released preliminary data showing that 70% of offenders arrested in Lake County for child pornography previously under the cash system were released pending trial while 0% of child pornography offenders have been released pending trial under the SAFE-T Act.
“I cannot stress it enough; we will relentlessly investigate and arrest those who prey on our most vulnerable. Our Criminal Investigations Division continues to proactively investigate those who hide in the shadows of the internet and exploit our children,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) was alerted to the situation and the daycare is no longer allowed to operate while the investigation is underway.