'Thousands' Of Child Porn Files Found In Lake County Home: Cops

ZION, IL — Investigators found a collection of thousands of images of child sexual abuse Tuesday during a search of the home of a Lake County man, authorities said.

Darin Richardson, 50, of the 16900 block of West State Line Road, Zion, was charged with 11 counts of possession of child pornography of children under age 13 and ordered held in lieu of the $30,000 cash portion of his bond Wednesday, records show. Each charge is a class 2 felony that can each carry up to seven years in prison.

Investigators from the Illinois Attorney General's Office carried out the search of Richardson's home after getting a warrant for unspecified reasons, according to a release from the office, which runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the collaboration between the task force and local law enforcement agencies was essential to protecting children. Investigators from Raoul's office were aided by the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, according to the statement.

Numerous pieces of electronics were seized from Richardson's home during the search, with thousands videos and images containing evidence of the sexual abuse of children found in a forensic analysis of a USB hard drive, authorities said.

Assistant Attorney General David Haslett represented the state at Wednesday morning's bond hearing. Haslett said the images contained infants and toddlers, with some bound.

"He admitted the USB drive was his and that he was responsible for the child pornography on them," Haslett said.

“I am very proud of the collaboration in this investigation and arrest, which led to the apprehension of a man who preyed on our most vulnerable,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in the release. “Child predators commonly lurk in the shadows of the internet. I cannot stress it enough: parents, please be proactive in monitoring who your children communicate with online.”

Richardson was previously dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army and sentenced to six years at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1991, according to Raoul's office. Following a court martial, he was found guilty of committing an indecent act upon a male under the age of 16, committing an indecent act upon a female under the age of 16, taking indecent liberties with a male under the age of 16 and taking indecent liberties with a female under the age of 16.

Assistant Public Defender Anton Trizna said Richardson lived with his father and had no criminal record since his conviction in military court.

Richardson is due back in court for hearing on his attorney status on Aug. 5. If he posts bail he will be restricted from any contact with children, the internet or electronics, according to Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak.