Illinois teacher faces federal child pornography charge after Mexico trip: prosecutors
ILLINOIS - An Illinois high school teacher has been charged with possessing child pornography on a flight from Chicago to Mexico, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
According to a criminal complaint, Thomas Neal, 42, had images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone when he flew from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico, on June 17.
When he arrived in Mexico, Neal was selected for secondary screening by border authorities when they allegedly saw child pornography images on his phone. Authorities confiscated his phone and luggage, including two laptops and six electronic storage devices. Neal was placed on a flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, according to the complaint.
Homeland Security Investigations agents reportedly found hundreds of files of child pornography on Neal's phone. Neal is currently a high school teacher in Illinois, according to the complaint.
Neal has been charged with one count of transportation of child pornography, which has a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
What's next:
Neal's next hearing is scheduled for June 29. He will remain in federal custody until then.
The Source: Details for this story were provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.