Justice Man Accused Of Possessing, Disseminating Child Sex Abuse Material On Social Media

JUSTICE, IL—A 54-year-old Justice man has been charged with sending and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Cook County Sheriff’s police said Daniel Gierut obtained CSAM through his social media account.

On Jan. 2, the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and Cyber Trafficking Unit detectives began investigating a cybertip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(NCMEC). According to the tip, a social media account user uploaded and sent sexually explicit images of children.

Search warrants were obtained for the account. Investigators confirmed the images were sexually explicit images of children and traced the account to Daniel Gierut, police said. Gierut was taken into custody by sheriff’s police on March 17. Investigators interviewed Gierut and executed a search warrant on his cell phone, where sheriff’s police said they found sexually explicit images of children. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declined charges at the time.

Further investigation found that Gierut was connected to another NCMEC cybertip. Through additional search warrants, Gierut was found to be connected to a second social media account.

On March 17, investigators took Gierut into custody, interviewed him after issuing his Miranda warning, and executed a search warrant on his cell phone, where they found CSAM. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declined charges at the time.

Investigators continued the investigation and learned that Gierut was connected to another tNCMEC cybertip. Through additional search warrants, investigators learned that second account contained CSAM and confirmed that the account belonged to Gierut, sheriff’s police said.

Gierut was arrested Tuesday at his home in the 7200 block of Skyline Drive in Justice. After investigators issued him another Miranda warning, Gierut allegedly admitted to possessing and disseminating CSAM and asking other social media account users for sexually explicit images of children. Later that day, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Gierut with dissemination of child sexual abuse material, a Class X felony, and possession of child sexual abuse material, a Class 2 felony.

Gierut was ordered detained in Cook County Jail, following his initial court appearance Tuesday at the Bridgeview Courthouse.