A Wauconda man detained until trial for possessing numerous child sexual abuse material files on his phone and computer was previously warned by Google to stop downloading child pornography, Lake County authorities said.
Ronald A. Justus, 61, is alleged to have had files depicting children as young as six years of age engaging in sex acts on electronic devices that were seized during a search warrant in the 300 block of Osage Street in Wauconda on Tuesday, court officials said.
Wauconda Police Department investigators executed the search warrant after police officials received multiple cyber tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, said Sgt. Heather Cognac of the Wauconda Police Department.
The cyber tips prompted an investigation that led to the issuance of the search warrant, Cognac said.
Cognac stated that numerous electronic devices were seized during the execution of the search warrant, adding that child sexual abuse material was located during the forensic reviews of the electronic devices confiscated.
Justus was taken into custody and charged with four Class 2 felony counts of possession of child pornography by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cognac said.
Cognac said the Island Lake Police Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office assisted with the investigation.
“Crimes involving the exploitation of children are among the most serious we investigate,” said Chief David Wermes. “We will pursue every resource available to ensure those who prey on children are held accountable.”
In court Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office said Justus uploaded 31 files of child sexual abuse material to a Google Drive between September 2024 and November 2025.
Those images featured children as young as 6 in various sexual acts, court officials said.
Officials also said the defendant admitted to police that Google shut down his account after repeated warnings for downloading the exploitative images.
Lake County Circuit Court Judge Michael Nerheim added that there were nine total phone numbers and two phones under Justus’s name that were linked to the abusive images.
“Over a year ago, the defendant was warned by Google that they knew he was trying to access child pornography, and he continued to do it anyway,” Nerheim said. “This shows he is a real and present danger to the community.”
Justus is due back in court on December 17.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Investigations Unit of the Wauconda Police Department at (847) 526-2421.