Lake County K9 helps bust man for child porn possession
Johnny Stewart (left) and K9 Grip | Lake County State's Attorney's Office
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - A North Chicago man was arrested Thursday for allegedly possessing and disseminating child pornography following an investigation in Lake County.
Johnny M. Stewart, 18, was charged with three counts of dissemination of child pornography and eight counts of possession of child pornography.
Authorities received a tip that child pornography was being disseminated from Stewart’s residence in the 1500 block of Lincoln Avenue.
In July, a search warrant was executed at Stewart’s residence, where the Lake County State's Attorney's Office Electronic Storage Detection K9 Grip assisted in locating electronic devices. Following the search, investigators analyzed the seized devices and discovered several hundred files showing child sexual abuse on Stewart’s phone.
"Our Cyber Crimes Division and Special Investigations Division are unmatched. We owe Sheriff’s investigators, LCSAO Investigators, and Grip a debt of gratitude for being on the front lines of this fight," Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement.
Stewart appeared in court Thursday, where the state’s attorney’s office filed a petition for his detention pending the case’s resolution. His next detention hearing is scheduled for Friday.