Hickory Hills Man Nabbed in Online Child Porn Sting: Prosecutors

A Hickory Hills man in the United States on a student visa was arrested after he used a file sharing program to download pornographic photos and videos of young children, prosecutors said in court Thursday.

Fadeel Shuhaiber, 30, appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice on charges of possession of child pornography and dissemination of child pornogrpahy, both Class X felonies.

According to the charges, Orland Park police were conducting an online investigation where they learned that two files of pornographic images depicting children as young as 8 or 9 years old from an IP address belong to Shuhaiber on September 28.

Three additional files of child pornagraphic images belonging to the same IP address were downloaded on October 12, prosecutors said.

Shuhaiber had allegedly downloaded the files through an ARES peer-to-peer sharing program, that allows users to quickly share digital files including music, videos, games and software.

Orland Park police executed a search warrant at Shuhaiber’s Hickory Hills residence on October 27. There, investigators found a computer with 15 files depicting pornographic images of young children involved in assorted sexually lewd acts with “another person,” the complaint said.

Police determined that Shuhaiber was the only person who used the computer. The investigation further revealed that three videos had also been downloaded involving children in sex acts, prosecutors alleged.

Detectives learned during their investigation that Shuhaiber found out about the file sharing program in an “Internet incest chat room.”

“My disgust aside, these are serious charges,” Judge Felice said.

Since the recovery of the three videos, prosecutors said that Shuhaiber, if convicted, faces three consecutive 12-year sentences in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

During the bond hearing, Shuhaiber tried to speak, but was advised by the assistant public defender not to say anything in court.

Bail was set at $750,000. Should Shuhaiber bond out, he has to wear a GPS tracker while on home confinement and is prohibited from coming within 500 feet of schools or parks, the judge ordered.

Prosecutors also requested that Shuhaiber be prohibited from using the Internet or a cell phone with Internet access, and to not have contact with children under age 18.

Orland Park police said that Shuhaiber has already surrendered his passport and is in the United States on a student visa.

Shuhaiber is due back in court in Bridgeview on November 25.