Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced charges against Jacob D. Monty, a 28-year-old resident of Virden, Illinois, for allegedly disseminating child sexual abuse material. The charges were filed in Macoupin County Circuit Court and include two counts of dissemination of child pornography, which are Class X felonies carrying a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison per count. Sentencing will be determined by the court.
Monty is currently held at the Macoupin County Jail with his next court appearance scheduled for December 16.
In a statement, Attorney General Raoul said: “Survivors of child abuse and exploitation are revictimized every time an individual downloads or trades one of these horrific photos or videos. 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 arrest followed a search conducted by investigators from the Attorney General’s office and officers from the Virden Police Department at Monty’s residence on East Holden Street in Virden. Evidence of child sexual abuse material was reportedly found during the search.
Raoul’s office is prosecuting the case alongside Macoupin State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison’s office. The public is reminded that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, run by Raoul’s office with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, investigates online child exploitation crimes and provides training for law enforcement agencies across Illinois. The task force receives CyberTips—reports concerning child sexual abuse material—from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Reports to Illinois’ ICAC Task Force have been increasing over recent years; in 2024 alone, there was an 11% rise compared to 2023 reports. The ICAC Task Force is part of a national network comprising more than 200 local, county, state, and federal agencies across Illinois.
Since its inception in 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has participated in over 2,400 arrests related to sexual predators statewide; since 2019 alone it has received more than 60,000 CyberTips and been involved in more than 1,000 arrests. In 2024 specifically, over 45 child victims were rescued from ongoing abuse as part of task force operations.
The task force also provides internet safety education programs for parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement professionals throughout Illinois.
Attorney General Raoul reminds members of the public that suspected incidents involving child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com while cases of suspected child abuse can be reported through dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov or via local advocacy centers listed at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org
Assistant Attorney General Victoria Chaves is handling prosecution duties for this case within Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.