Cumberland County Man Accused of Producing Child Abuse Material

Attorney General Raoul Charges Cumberland County Man with Production and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

Chicago – The office of Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a Cumberland County man with allegedly producing and possessing child abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing partnership with federal and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois to apprehend offenders who download and trade child abuse images online.

The Attorney General’s Office charged William A. Williams, 49, of Greenup, Illinois, in Cumberland County Superior Court with five counts of production of child pornography, Class X felonies, each punishable by up to 30 years in prison; and five counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison. Williams was also charged with one count of delivery of methamphetamine, a Class 1 felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison; and possession of meth manufacturing materials, also a Class 2 felony. Sentences will ultimately be determined by the court. Williams is being held in the Cumberland County Jail until his detention hearing on Sept. 3.

“Survivors of child exploitation and their families experience trauma that can require a lifetime of physical and emotional healing,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work with local law enforcement to ensure that those who perpetrate this disturbing abuse are held accountable and survivors receive the justice they deserve.”

Detectives from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenup Police Department, searched Williams’ home in the 1600 block of County Road 1050N in Greenup on August 28. Williams was arrested after finding thousands of digital images and videos of child sexual abuse material on multiple devices.

Raoul’s office is prosecuting this case along with Cumberland County District Attorney Bryan Robbins.

The public is reminded that the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Raoul’s office leads the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which investigates child sex crimes and trains law enforcement through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. CyberTipline reports have been steadily increasing in recent years; in 2023 alone, reports to ICAC are up 46% from 2022.

The Illinois ICAC Task Force is one of 61 task forces nationwide, comprised of more than 185 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 46,150 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 755 arrests of sexual predators. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in more than 2,145 arrests. The task force also provides training and education on internet safety to parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement professionals.

Attorney General Raoul reminds the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.

Assistant Attorney General Katherine Hegarty is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.