Child Porn Charges For Skokie Man Out On Bond For Child Porn

SKOKIE, IL — A man who had already been out on bond awaiting trial on federal charges of possessing child pornography was arrested last week and charged with two new counts for allegedly handing more child porn to an undercover agent.

Ronald Feder, 30, of Skokie was arrested Thursday at a coffee shop in Lincolnwood, where he met with an undercover agent with whom he had been communicating for weeks and provided a thumb drive with child pornography on it, according to federal prosecutors.

Feder's communication with the agent and their meeting took place while he was free on bond awaiting trial on a pending child pornography charge in federal court in Chicago, prosecutors said.

According to the complaint, Feder used the online aliases “Tom Bradly” and “Jack Wayne” to communicate with the undercover agent, who had posted an ad on Craiglist after posing as an individual interested in “taboo” activities.

During communications using the encrypted mobile chat app "Wire" and phone calls in late November and early December, Feder told the undercover agent that his actual name was Ron, prosecutors allege.

Feder described his interest in child pornography and offered to trade images of child pornography with the undercover agent in exchange for the agent setting up an encounter between Feder and the agent’s minor nephew and niece, during which Feder would molest the children, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Feder discussed "strategies for molesting children and acquiring child pornography" with the undercover agent.

"I wish I knew a kid I could lend you," Feder said, according to transcripts of their online exchanges included in the complaint.

"I do too..." responded the undercover agent.

"Maybe I could play with you neices and nephews (sic) and you could watch," Feder wrote, using the alias "Tom Bradly."

"Would you be into that? I could maybe set that up," said the undercover agent.

"Omg id totally be into that (sic)" Feder said.

Feder also discussed receiving pictures from relatives of young children, including pictures of the neices and nephews of acquaintances, as well as photos of their used underwear, according to the logs of their online chats included in the federal complaint. He mentioned one man was bringing over a pair of used underwear from a 9-year-old cousin.

In the prior case, Feder was indicted in September 2016 for allegedly possessing a sexually explicit image of a minor under the age of twelve.

Feds said that crime took place while he was a a civilian employee of the military and was living overseas. Feder pleaded not guilty to that charge and was ordered released on bond in September 2016, with a condition of the release prohibiting him from accessing the internet.

He has now been charged with two additional charges of transporting and distributing child pornography. If convicted, each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Both new counts and his prior charge each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The Skokie Police Department assisted federal investigators, according to the Department of Justice. A detention hearing is set for Dec. 13.

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