Authorities announced the arrest of a North Chicago man after investigators found he possessed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, which he also allegedly distributed.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Cybercrimes Unit and Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cybercrimes Unit began an investigation after being notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an electronic device was uploading child pornography in North Chicago using an application.
The investigation revealed the device was located at a residence in the 1000 block of McAlister Avenue in North Chicago, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
State’s attorney and sheriff’s investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence.
The warrant was conducted Thursday morning and investigators located electronic evidence that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, Covelli said.
Some of the material included children under the age of 10 engaged in sexual acts.
Angel Oseguera Lopez, 24, who lives at the residence, was found to be responsible for saving child pornography he received and redistributing the material to others, Covelli said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved two counts of distribution of child pornography against Lopez. Additional charges are likely.
“Our office is committed to protecting all children in Lake County. We are immensely grateful and commend the Sheriff’s Investigators and our Cyber Crimes Division Investigators for their relentless work in the fight to track down and prosecute those who exploit the most vulnerable in our community,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said his office will continue to “go to great lengths” to ensure the most vulnerable are safe from predators.
“This arrest highlights the hard work of our team and our ongoing collaboration with the state’s attorney’s office to identify and apprehend child predators,” Idleburg said.
Lopez remains held in the Lake County Jail pending a First Appearance Court hearing on Friday morning.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office intends to file a petition to detain Lopez in custody while he awaits trial.