Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a Metro East man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison for disseminating child pornography.
The Attorney General’s office prosecuted Christopher L. Page, 37, of Alton, Illinois, who was sentenced by Madison County Circuit Court Judge Neil Schroeder after pleading guilty to four counts of dissemination of child pornography, all Class X felonies. Page was sentenced to 32 years in prison and will remain in custody pending his transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections.
“My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force works tirelessly to identify predators who share heinous images and videos of children online,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to partner with local law enforcement agencies to hold these perpetrators accountable, and to protect children in the Metro East and across Illinois.”
The case is part of Attorney General Raoul’s work to investigate and prosecute child pornographers in Illinois. 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 pornography, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2022, reports to the ICAC increased by 26% over 2021.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 175 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 35,000 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 600 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 1,990 arrests of sexual predators. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to tens of thousands of parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals.
Attorney General Raoul reminds the public that online child sexual exploitation can be reported at www.cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at www.childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Deputy Bureau Chief Shannon M. O’Brien and Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
