A Waukegan man has been taken into custody by Lake County Sheriff's detectives on allegations of possessing child pornography, following a tip from an online cloud storage service that a device in Lake County uploaded content that is explicitly illegal, according to Lake County. An investigation pinpointed the unsettling activity to a home on the 1100 block of Gladys Court, where 21-year-old Brandon C. Roberson resided.
During the encounter with Roberson, law enforcement took a laptop he used, and the subsequent cyber forensic analysis performed by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office Cybercrime Unit uncovered nearly 200 images and videos, which heartbreakingly included scenes of young children, toddlers even, being sexually assaulted, Lake County revealed. With the arrest and search warrants secured, Roberson was arrested, and several more devices with storage capabilities were seized which detectives believe will house yet more illegal material.
"Protecting our children from those who seek to harm them is among our highest priorities," Sheriff John D. Idleburg stated, underscoring the gravity of these crimes and the commitment to child welfare, "Our detectives work tirelessly to identify and apprehend child predators, and this arrest is a testament to their dedication," and he acknowledged the vital collaborative efforts of the Illinois Attorney General's Office and the Lake County State's Attorney's Office in bringing such individuals to justice, as per Lake County.
Charged with three counts of possessing child pornography, Roberson's case is pending further as he remains in custody at the Lake County Jail with additional charges likely given the further evidence to be analyzed, Lake County noted. However, in the eyes of the law, he remains innocent until proven otherwise. A detention hearing scheduled for this afternoon will seek to determine the immediate future for Roberson as the investigation widens and the full extent of the abhorrent criminal activity surfaces.
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