A 39-year-old Waukegan man is facing serious felony charges after investigators traced child sexual abuse material shared online back to an electronic device inside his apartment, authorities said.
Michael A. Bray was arrested on Wednesday and is accused of downloading and sharing files involving victims as young as toddlers. He was booked on 10 counts of disseminating child sexual assault material. Detectives served a search warrant at a residence on the 2600 block of West Cornelia Avenue, where they seized multiple electronic devices. Electronic-detection K9s were brought in to help find hidden storage devices during the search.
What investigators say
According to FOX 32 Chicago, Lake County sheriff's detectives traced the online sharing to a device inside the north suburban apartment, then executed the warrant with help from K9s Enzo and Grip. The outlet reports that detectives recovered multiple electronic devices they believe belong to Bray.
Officials' response
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement that cases like this are anything but abstract.
"Every image and video in cases like this represents the victimization and exploitation of a child," Idleburg said, adding that he praised the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) team's work in identifying alleged offenders and protecting victims.
FOX 32 Chicago reports that Bray remained held at the Lake County Jail ahead of his first court appearance, and that prosecutors planned to seek his detention.
Charges and legal stakes
Bray faces 10 counts of disseminating child sexual assault material, which the sheriff's office described as Class X felonies. Under the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Class X felonies carry determinate prison terms, generally six to 30 years for a standard Class X sentence, with extended-term penalties available in certain circumstances.
A pattern locally
The arrest comes amid a stretch of cyber-tip driven cases handled by Lake County's ICAC unit. A February 2026 media release from the sheriff's office stated that the team made 13 arrests and helped rescue five children in 2025.
Local coverage has also highlighted how similar suburban investigations often start with online tips and end in forensic searches of computers and hard drives, including recent suburban cases that unfolded after home raids.
What to watch next
Bray's case will move through the Lake County court system, where any detention hearing, bond decisions, or additional charges will show up in court filings and future press releases.
Survivors and families looking for help in removing images can turn to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Take It Down service, which allows users to request the removal of sexually explicit content. The sheriff's office also points to victim resources and contact information in its public media releases.
