Lake County sex offender arrested for possessing child pornography: officials
Pictured is Thomas Rix, 57.
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - A registered sex offender in Lake County is behind bars after authorities found child pornography on his cellphone, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Thomas Rix, 57, was arrested after detectives received a tip that he had uploaded possible child pornography on social media.
Authorities tried to locate Rix at his home in the 100 block of Sheridan Road, in Winthrop Harbor, on Sept. 24. However, they later found that Rix changed his registered address about a week prior to a home in the 1600 block of 2nd Avenue, also in Winthrop Harbor.
Detectives made contact with Rix, who agreed to meet at the Winthrop Harbor Police Department.
During a conversation with law enforcement, Rix told officers that he had been living in Twin Lakes, Wis. for several days and was not living in Winthrop Harbor anymore.
The Illinois Attorney General's Cybercrime Unit, who were on scene, analyzed Rix's phone and found multiple images that he took of a girl under eight years old, according to officials.
Some of the images were of the girl in her underwear and at least one of them was a pornographic image, the sheriff's office said.
Further investigation revealed that Rix knew the girl from when he lived at his previous apartment and that's when he took the photographs.
Investigators are working to acquire search warrants to analyze other electronics in Rix's possession.
After reviewing the case, the charge of child pornography was approved by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. Rix's next court date is set for Oct. 23 at 1:30 p.m.