Bourbonnais man charged with possession of child pornography

Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a Bourbonnais, Illinois, man with possession of child sexual abuse material. This case is part of Raoul’s ongoing efforts in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois to apprehend individuals who download and traffic child sexual abuse materials online.

Wayne R. Hipple, 38, was charged in Kankakee County Circuit Court with 10 counts of possession of child pornography involving a child under 13 years of age. Each charge is a Class 2 felony, punishable by up to seven years in prison. The sentences will ultimately be determined by the court. Hipple is currently being held in the Kankakee County Jail, with his next court hearing scheduled for October 10.

“No child deserves the trauma that comes from being a victim of online exploitation, and this case is an example of the work we do every day to identify perpetrators who exploit minors,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to work with law enforcement at all levels and across the state to protect children and ensure those responsible for this horrific abuse are held accountable.”

Investigators from Raoul’s office, along with officers from the Bourbonnais Police Department, conducted a search of Hipple’s home on September 26. The investigation revealed that Hipple used a dark web network to download child sexual abuse material. He was arrested after evidence was found.

“This is another case that highlights the importance of specialized task forces working with local law enforcement to work effectively and collaboratively to solve complex crimes that might otherwise go uninvestigated and prosecuted,” Bourbonnais Police Chief James Phelps said.

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

Raoul’s office manages the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies, receiving CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In 2023, reports to the ICAC increased by 46% compared to 2022.

The Illinois ICAC Task Force is one of 61 such task forces nationwide and includes more than 185 local, state, provincial and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, it has received more than 46,150 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 755 arrests of sexual predators. Since its founding in 2006, the organization has been involved in more than 2,145 arrests. The task force also provides internet safety training to parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals.

Attorney General Raoul encourages reporting of child sexual exploitation online at cybertipline.com or child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local children’s advocacy centers can be found at Childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.

Assistant Attorney General Shantikumar Kulkarni will prosecute this case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.