A Barrington man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after he was caught soliciting and possessing sexually explicit images and videos of children.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) said in June 2023 that they received a tip that prompted the investigation of Anthony Demonte, 50, of Barrington.
ICAC investigators were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), according to the sheriff’s office.
The NCMEC reported that videos and images of child pornography were uploaded and shared through a social media account linked to Demonte.
Search warrants were executed for Demonte’s social media account.
Investigators found the account contained multiple files of sexually explicit videos of children under the age of 13, the sheriff’s office said.
Demonte was taken into custody at his home on June 21, 2023, and transported to sheriff’s headquarters in Maywood.
ICAC investigators along with electronics detection canine Boone searched Demonte’s residence.
They recovered a cell phone and other electronic devices, the sheriff’s office said.
Demonte admitted to investigators that the seized cell phone belonged to him.
A forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed multiple videos of children under the age of 13 being sexually assaulted. The sheriff’s office said Demonte solicited the explicit material.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of dissemination of child pornography, a Class X felony, and possession of child pornography, a Class 2 felony.
On Thursday, Demonte pleaded guilty to solicitation of child pornography and was sentenced to eight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Demonte will be required to serve three years of mandatory supervised release and must register as a sex offender for life.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said their ICAC Unit has obtained charges against 49 individuals for cases involving the victimization of children and child pornography since 2020.