A North Chicago man was arrested after investigators, with the help of a canine, located him in possession of hundreds of child sexual abuse files, which they say he was disseminating.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Cyber Crimes Division and Special Investigations Division, with the assistance of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Johnny M. Stewart, 18, of North Chicago, on Thursday.
State’s attorney investigators conducted an investigation after receiving a cyber tip that child pornography was being disseminated from Stewart’s residence in the 1500 block of Lincoln Avenue in North Chicago, prosecutors said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office also received the same cyber tip and investigators determined that Stewart was the perpetrator in both reports.
The state’s attorney’s office and the sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at Stewart’s residence in July.
Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Electronic Storage Detection Canine Grip assisted during the search and helped locate electronic devices, prosecutors said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Cyber Lab conducted an analysis on the devices and discovered several hundred files of child sexual abuse material on Stewart’s cellular phone.
“Our Cyber Crimes Division and Special Investigations Division are unmatched. Our Cyber Lab team is using new technology every day to protect our children, our families, and our community,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
“We owe Sheriff’s investigators, LCSAO Investigators, and Grip a debt of gratitude for being on the front lines of this fight to catch and prosecute those who would exploit others,” Rinehart said.
Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said that “protecting our most vulnerable is crucial” and the sheriff’s team will continue collaborating with its partners to do so.
“I am proud of the continued work of our staff and thankful for our partnership with the State’s Attorney’s Office,” Idleburg said.
Stewart was charged with three counts of dissemination of child pornography, a Class X felony, and eight counts of possession of child pornography, a Class 2 felony.
Stewart appeared in First Appearance Court on Thursday morning and prosecutors filed a petition to detain him pending the case.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim ordered Stewart held until a detention hearing, which he scheduled for Friday afternoon.