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25-year-old charged with possessing, sharing child pornography on social media: authorities

By Lauren Westphal
Published  February 26, 2026 6:03pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 32 Chicago

The Brief

    • A 25-year-old Chicago man, Levi Pitchford, has been charged after allegedly sharing child sexual abuse material on a social media app, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
    • Authorities began investigating in December after receiving an alert about uploads of suspected child pornography; Pitchford later admitted having the material, and forensics found about 20 files on his phone.
    • He was arrested Feb. 25 in Blue Island and charged with dissemination and possession of child sexual abuse material.

COOK COUNTY - A Chicago man has been charged after allegedly sharing child pornography on a social media app, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

What we know:

Police started an investigation in December after receiving an alert that a social media user was uploading and sending potential child sexual abuse material via their account.

Levi Pitchford, 25, Chicago (Cook County Sheriff's Office)

Levi Pitchford, 25, was identified as the suspect. Pitchford admitted to having child pornography on his cell phone. Forensics found his phone contained about 20 files of child sexual abuse material.

Pitchford was arrested on Feb. 25 in Blue Island and later charged with dissemination and possession of child sexual abuse materials.

The Source: Details for this story were provided by the Cook County Sheriff's Office.

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