A Belleville man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material and sharing private sexual images of an adult without consent. The case was prosecuted by the Illinois Attorney General’s office as part of its ongoing collaboration with federal and local law enforcement agencies to address online exploitation.
Owen Corder, 22, received the sentence from St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge John O’Gara after being convicted on two counts of disseminating child sexual abuse material and two counts of non-consensual dissemination of a private sexual image.
“Those who prey upon and exploit victims online must be held accountable,” said Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force works tirelessly to identify and track down individuals who assault and exploit children. I will continue to partner with local law enforcement to locate and hold these offenders accountable.”
The investigation involved Raoul’s team and the Belleville Police Department, who searched Corder’s home in June 2025, leading to his arrest after evidence was found.
The Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, operated by Raoul’s office with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, investigates child exploitation crimes and provides training for law enforcement agencies. The task force receives reports of suspected child sexual abuse material through CyberTips submitted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Reports increased by 45% in 2025 compared to 2024.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 such units nationwide, involving more than 200 agencies at various levels. Since 2019, it has received over 76,500 CyberTips and contributed to more than 1,800 arrests related to sexual predators. Since its creation in 2006, the task force has participated in over 2,500 arrests and helped rescue more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse in 2024 alone. It also offers internet safety education to parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement professionals.
The public can report suspected child exploitation at cybertipline.com or report child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Information about local advocacy centers is available at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorneys General Jenifer Peck and David Sternau handled prosecution for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
The Illinois Attorney General serves as the state’s main legal officer with responsibilities that include upholding laws, protecting residents through services like consumer safeguards, community safety initiatives, environmental conservation efforts, legal representation statewide, support for crime victims, complaint handling for fraud or civil rights issues, advocacy for vulnerable groups such as workers or seniors—including resources on identity theft and internet safety—and partnerships with law enforcement across Illinois according to information on its official website.