Mt. Greenwood Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charge

CHICAGO, IL - A Mount Greenwood neighborhood man will have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life after pleading guilty to a child pornography charge and avoiding a prison sentence. 19th Ward Ald. Matt O'Shea informed neighborhood residents of the court proceedings of Russell Rhoads this week on social media.

Rhoads, of the 10700 block of South Homan Ave. agreed to plead guilty to one count of dissemination of child pornography, a class 1 felony, according to O'Shea. He received two years of probation as his official sentence, along with the mandate to register as a sex offender for life.

In February of 2017, Rhoads was arrested and charged with multiple Class X counts of possession of child pornography. Reports at the time indicate Rhoads' arrest was the result of a months-long investigation by a special unit of the Chicago Police Department.

"It was a very thorough investigation," O'Shea said at the time. "I believe [CPD] have been tracking this guy for several months."

Police executed a search warrant at Rhoads' home in the 10700 block of Homan Avenue on Feb. 2, when they said numerous images related to child pornography were found.

Rhoads had been out on bond since the time of his arrest.

Photo via Chicago Police Department