A man from Palmyra, Illinois has been charged with multiple felonies related to the alleged dissemination and possession of child sexual abuse material, as well as possession of methamphetamine. The charges were announced by Attorney General Kwame Raoul, whose office continues to collaborate with federal and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois to address online child exploitation.
Michael Upton, 34, faces two counts of dissemination of child pornography—Class X felonies that carry a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison—and 10 counts of possession of child pornography, each a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Upton is also charged with one count of Class 3 felony possession of methamphetamine, which can result in up to five years in prison. He is currently held at Macoupin County Jail and is scheduled for his next court appearance on January 20.
“Child exploitation leaves life-long scars for survivors and their families, which is why it is essential to hold everyone who is responsible for this horrific trauma accountable,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force works tirelessly with local law enforcement track down individuals who assault and exploit children.”
The investigation involved Raoul’s investigators along with officers from the Palmyra Police Department and Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities searched Upton’s residence on East Oak Street in Palmyra, where evidence was found leading to his arrest.
The case will be prosecuted jointly by the Attorney General’s office and Macoupin State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison’s office. The public is reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Raoul’s office operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force investigates child exploitation crimes and provides training for law enforcement agencies statewide. It receives reports known as CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; these reports increased by 45% in 2025 compared to 2024.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force includes more than 200 law enforcement agencies at various levels across the state and is part of a national network of 61 such task forces. Since 2019, the Illinois ICAC Task Force has received over 76,500 CyberTips and participated in more than 1,800 arrests related to sexual predators. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in over 2,500 such arrests and helped rescue more than 30 children from ongoing abuse in 2025 alone. The task force also provides internet safety education to parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement professionals.
Attorney General Raoul encouraged members of the public to report suspected child sexual exploitation online at cybertipline.com or suspected child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General David Sternau is prosecuting this case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
The Illinois Attorney General acts as the primary legal authority for the state, offering services that include consumer protection, civil rights advocacy, support for vulnerable groups such as workers and seniors, crime victim assistance, complaint handling regarding fraud or civil rights violations, legal representation for residents statewide through offices located in Chicago, Springfield and Carbondale official websiteofficial website.