An O'Fallon, Illinois, man faces charges brought forth by Attorney General Kwame Raoul in connection with the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. Jeffery Odegaard, 55, has been charged with 15 Class 2 felony counts of possession of child pornography, each carrying a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison, as reported by the Illinois Attorney General's office. These charges are a continuation of Raoul’s commitment, in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement, to track down and prosecute those involved in the online trading of such illicit material.
This case surfaced as part of the broader efforts by the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which Raoul's office manages with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The Task Force is designed to investigate child exploitation crimes and to provide training for law enforcement agencies. It received an 11% increase in CyberTipline reports in 2024 when compared to figures from the previous year. The task force is part of a national network that includes over 200 law enforcement agencies and has been involved in more than 1,000 arrests of sexual predators since Raoul's office has been operating the ICAC program. “Survivors of child exploitation and their families can face life-long trauma, and the predators responsible for these heinous crimes being held accountable can help them begin the healing process,” Raoul said in a statement obtained by the Illinois Attorney General's office.
According to the announcement made by the Attorney General's office, search operations led by Raoul’s investigators, in tandem with the Shiloh Police Department, at Odegaard’s residence on N. Main Street resulted in his arrest after evidence of the illegal material was found. While Odegaard currently remains detained at St. Clair County Jail, it remains underscored that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the courts.
Amidst the revelation of these charges, Raoul is urging the public to report incidents of child sexual exploitation through the online portal at cyberTipline.com and cases of child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Additionally, those seeking local resources or support can head to childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org to find child advocacy centers. Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau, as seen in the information provided by the Illinois Attorney General's website.
