VIRDEN, Ill. – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Virden, Illinois man who possessed child sexual abuse material has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.
In July, Jacob Monty, 29, pleaded guilty in Macoupin County Circuit Court to two Class 2 felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“My hope is that this sentencing can help provide some closure for survivors of child exploitation and their families,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to collaborate with law enforcement throughout the state to ensure justice is served to the individuals responsible for these heinous actions.”
In December 2025, Raoul’s investigators – along with officers from the Virden Police Department – conducted a search of Monty’s residence in the 300 block of East Holden Street in Virden. Monty was arrested after evidence of child sexual abuse material was found.
Raoul’s office prosecuted the case with Macoupin State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison’s office.
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 sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,250 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,600 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to more than a million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals.
Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Deputy Bureau Chief Shantikumar Kulkarni prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
