A 64-year-old man from Hudson has pleaded guilty to trading child pornography online.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said David L. Howell pleaded guilty to disseminating child pornography. McLean County Judge Jason Chambers sentenced Howell to 12 years in prison for the two Class X felonies.
“This guilty plea and sentence hold the offender accountable and prevent him from being able to exploit more innocent children,” Raoul said.
Raoul’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children [ICAC] Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies.
The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child pornography, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2022, reports to the ICAC increased by 26% over 2021, according to the attorney general's office.
Since 2019, the ICAC task force has received more than 38,500 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 620 arrests of sexual predators. The task force also provides internet safety training and education to parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals.
Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation and abuse can be reported online. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found online.
