A 27-year-old Chicago man now faces 20 Class X felony charges tied to suspected child sexual abuse material, after what began as an unauthorized video recording case at an Evanston Target fitting room escalated dramatically this week. Conor M. Burke, of the 1400 block of West Jonquil Terrace, was indicted on 19 additional counts by a Cook County grand jury on Monday, bringing the total to 20 after prosecutors approved a Class X possession charge in October.
According to evanstonroundtable.com, Evanston police say the case traces back to an incident at the Target store at 1616 Sherman Avenue, where three juvenile girls reported seeing a phone briefly extend over a fitting room partition. The Chicago Tribune reports the girls said a man used his cellphone to record them while they were undressed, and that surveillance footage showed a man entering an adjacent staff room, positioning a phone over the fitting room wall, then leaving on foot.
Evanston police identified Burke as the suspect and arrested him in Chicago in April, when prosecutors approved a single felony count of unauthorized video recording, per the police news release cited by the Tribune. That initial charge set off a broader investigation that would not stay contained to one incident.
Cellphone Search Warrant Uncovers More Material
Police obtained a search warrant for Burke's cellphone, and the resulting investigation uncovered what the station's report describes as a large amount of suspected child sexual abuse material. Evanston police coordinated a separate investigation with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, with detectives working alongside the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Internet Crimes Against Children unit, according to the Tribune.
That expanded probe led to a second arrest. Evanston police juvenile bureau members arrested Burke at his Chicago residence on Oct. 5, and prosecutors approved a Class X felony count of possession of child sexual abuse materials the following day. Burke appeared at an initial detention hearing on Oct. 7, and per the same account, Cmdr. Chelsea Brown said he has been held in custody ever since.
Grand Jury Indictment Brings Total to 20 Counts
Evanston police presented their case to a Cook County grand jury on Monday, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved 19 additional charges following that presentation, bringing the total to 20 Class X felony counts. Burke appeared before a judge at the Skokie courthouse at 5600 Old Orchard Road on Tuesday, where, per Cook County court records, the judge ordered him to remain in custody. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 17.
A Class X felony carries a sentence of six to 30 years in prison, the outlet notes. As with any criminal case, an arrest and pending charges do not establish guilt or a conviction, and the matter remains before the court as Burke awaits his arraignment later this month.
