A McHenry man is in custody after authorities say he solicited female children online to send him sexually explicit videos and images while also distributing explicit material to others.
Timothy Chapman, 36, of McHenry, was charged with seven counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, a Class X felony, and two counts of solicitation of child sexual abuse material, a Class 1 felony.
The McHenry Police Department began investigating Chapman in July 2025 after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) through the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) data system.
The tip identified a user on the messaging platform Kik who was distributing child sexual abuse material through a private chat, prosecutors said.
Detectives launched an investigation and determined that the IP address associated with the activity was linked to Chapman, prosecutors said.
The investigation progressed over the following months and investigators uncovered multiple email addresses and online usernames connected to Chapman across several social media platforms.
Prosecutors say he used many of the accounts to communicate with female juveniles and solicit child sexual abuse material from them.
Chapman was also linked to at least six additional cyber tips reporting the distribution of child sexual abuse material during the investigation, prosecutors said.
Court documents said that most of the material, which involved children under the age of 13, was of juveniles younger than five years old being sexually assaulted.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said one of the videos showed a girl under five in an “almost catatonic” state during the assault.
Court documents said Chapman convinced a 15-year-old girl to send images and videos of herself while instructing her on what to do in the videos.
He also allegedly had explicit conversations with children discussing what he wanted to do with them sexually. Court documents said Chapman had conversations where he stated he specifically likes videos of toddlers and babies and would buy them.
Officers arrested Chapman on Wednesday and transported him to the McHenry County Jail.
He appeared in Initial Appearance Court on Wednesday where the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the petition after saying that no conditions of release could mitigate the threat Chapman poses, noting that the offenses were committed in his home and electronic home monitoring would not be sufficient.
“The court could confiscate all of his devices, but he could get new devices. The court could order that he cannot access the internet at his home, but he could go somewhere else to find internet access. If he buys a smart phone he has internet access through his cell phone,” Lamb said.
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese said investigators are grateful to the individual who came forward and reported the conduct.
“The willingness of community members to speak up when they see something concerning plays a critical role in protecting children and helping law enforcement hold offenders accountable,” Freese said.
“We also appreciate the Court’s careful consideration of the evidence presented today and the decision to grant our petition to detain. This ruling helps ensure the safety of our community while this case proceeds through the judicial process,” Freese added.
Chapman is scheduled to appear in court again on March 25 for a status of preliminary hearing.