Zion woman charged with having child sex abuse material after home search
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - A Zion woman was charged after sheriff’s detectives searched her home and seized electronics that allegedly contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
What we know:
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said its Cybercrime Detectives began investigating after learning that images and videos of CSAM involving children under 13 were being shared from an electronic device in Chicago's north suburbs.
Detectives determined the device was at a home in the 1700 block of Joppa Avenue in Zion and obtained a search warrant for the residence.
The search was conducted Thursday by sheriff’s detectives, electronic detection canines, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
Rebekah Denise Smith
Authorities said they seized electronics belonging to Rebekah Denise Smith, who lives at the home. The devices allegedly contained CSAM.
She was charged with two counts of possession of CSAM, both Class 2 felonies.
What they're saying:
Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said protecting children is the department’s highest priority.
"There is no higher priority than protecting children from those who seek to exploit them," Idleburg said in a statement.
"I am incredibly proud of the work of our Internet Crimes Against Children Team and their continued efforts to identify and apprehend individuals who believe they can use the internet to prey upon children. We will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to find these offenders and bring them to justice."
What's next:
Smith was due in court Friday morning.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.