Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged an Oregon, Illinois man with possessing and disseminating child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.

Raoul’s office charged Colton Murphy, 35, in Ogle County Circuit Court with four counts of disseminating child sexual abuse material, each Class X felonies punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Sentences are ultimately determined by the court. Murphy is detained at the Ogle County Jail.

“Survivors and their families can face a lifetime of trauma caused by child exploitation, and they deserve to see the individuals who trade and download these abhorrent images and videos held accountable,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to working with state and local law enforcement agencies to find and prosecute individuals who exploit minors.”

Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Oregon Police Department, conducted a search on Tuesday of Murphy’s residence in the 200 block of North 6th Street in Oregon. The Illinois State Police and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the search. Murphy was arrested after evidence of child sexual abuse material was found.

The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Raoul’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.

Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,250 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,600 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to more than a million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals.

Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at  dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.

Assistant Attorney General Clarissa Palermo is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.