'Burbank Baby Lover' Nabbed In Federal Child Porn Sting: Cops

BURBANK, IL -- A Burbank man who professed to love babies but drew the line at posting pictures of “children who looked too young” on child porn sites was arrested after a months' long investigation, prosecutors said. Frank Perrino, 50, appeared before Cook County Judge Donald Havis on a felony charge of child pornography. The prosecutor Perrino was targeted in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigation.

According to the charges, international law enforcement agencies opened an investigation in 2012 after discovering an Internet sharing site that was distributing videos and images depicting child pornography. Police were able to gather a list of user names, IP addresses and passwords. One of the user profiles under the name “Frankie” was traced to a Burbank address, which was shared with the Department of Homeland Security, the prosecutor said. The feds also were able to identify Perrino’s email and Internet provider.

In july 2017, an undercover international investigator contacted Perrino in a private chat message, the prosecutor said. Perrino allegedly described himself as a “baby lover,” looking for “cute boys,” “cute lads” and “cute teen boys.” However, Perrino told the investigator that he didn’t post pictures of children who were too young because they got deleted, the prosecutor said.

During the chat, Perrino allegedly sent videos and photographs of underage children engaged in sex acts. DHS offices went to Perrino’s home on March 6, where they recovered two laptops and two cell phones. On one of the laptops, the prosecutor said the feds found ten files containing graphic child pornography of children under 13, including a toddler.

Perrino allegedly admitted to owning the laptop, and to sharing and viewing the videos and pictures. He was arrested and brought to the Burbank Police Station where he was interviewed by DHS agents.

The prosecutor said Perrino had a prior arrest in 1985 for public indecency. He asked for special conditions of bond, including no contact with persons under 18 and no Internet access.

The assistant public defender told the judge that Perrino is not employed and cares for his aged mother. He said his client claims he received non-pornographic images and deleted the pornographic images. He suggested some of the images on Perrio’s laptop may have been remnants of cookie.

“I believe this is a larger charge than just him because it involves children,” Havis said.

Bail was set at $250,000. Perrino is due back in court March 16 for a bond review.