Lake County Gazette

Lake County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a Waukegan man on charges related to the possession of hundreds of photos and videos depicting child pornography. The arrest followed a tip from an online cloud storage website.

According to a news release, the website reported that a device in Lake County had uploaded child pornography to their platform. Sheriff's detectives initiated an investigation and identified a residence in the 1100 block of Gladys Court, Waukegan, as the likely source. Detectives interviewed one of the residents, Brandon C. Roberson, 21, and took possession of a laptop he used. A forensic analysis conducted by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office Cybercrime Unit revealed nearly 200 images and videos containing child pornography, some depicting children as young as toddlers being sexually assaulted.

The release further said that an arrest warrant for Roberson and a search warrant for his residence were drafted and approved by a judge. On March 6, Sheriff detectives, along with Illinois Attorney General's office Cybercrime Investigators and Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Investigators, arrested Roberson. They also seized several additional electronic storage devices for forensic analysis to determine if they contained more pornographic material.

Sheriff John D. Idleburg emphasized the importance of protecting children from harm: "Protecting our children from those who seek to harm them is among our highest priorities. Our detectives work tirelessly to identify and apprehend child predators, and this arrest is a testament to their dedication. We are grateful for the invaluable collaboration with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, as it takes a united effort to bring these offenders to justice."

Roberson has been charged with three counts of possessing child pornography, according to the news release. Additional charges are likely pending further investigation. He is currently held in Lake County Jail awaiting a detention hearing on Friday. It is important to note that all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.