Authorities say a Mundelein man was arrested after detectives found he was disseminating videos and images of child sexual abuse material, including one video of a disabled child under the age of 13.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said sheriff’s detectives received a tip from an online social media network that a user of their platform uploaded child pornography from a device in Lake County.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kailey Hopkins said that numerous cybertips were received, including from Snapchat, Discord and Instagram.
Sheriff’s detectives began an investigation and determined the likely source was coming from a residence in the 21500 block of West Hampshire Place in unincorporated Mundelein.
Covelli said sheriff’s detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence and conducted the warrant with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Canine Enzo, who is an electronic detection canine, assisted during the search.
Covelli said the team located and seized electronics that contained child pornography belonging to John C. Dressel, 22, who lives in the home.
Numerous videos and images, many involving children under the age of 13, were found.
Detectives determined Dressel was also distributing the material and not just possessing it, Covelli said.
Hopkins said Dressel used his cellphone, computer and iPad to store the explicit material, which he said he had been viewing the past couple of years.
One of the videos involved a disabled girl under 13 being sexually assaulted by two adults, Hopkins said. One of the videos disseminated by Dressel involved a child crying during the assault.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved two counts of disseminating child pornography, a Class X felony, and seven counts of possession of child pornography, a Class 2 felony.
“Our Cybercrime Unit has once again located a child predator operating in Lake County. We will continue aggressively pursuing those who prey on children and the vulnerable, and we remain committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Dressel in custody while he awaits trial and the petition was granted by Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim on Wednesday afternoon.
Attorney Jason Dreifuss, who is representing Dressel, argued in court for his client’s release and said that there were conditions of release to ensure the community’s safety.
Dressel has no criminal background and has a full-time job in the electrical field, Dreifuss said.
Dressel remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 7 for a preliminary hearing.