NILWOOD — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a Macoupin County man was charged with soliciting and possessing child pornography. This effort is part of the Attorney General’s ongoing work to apprehend offenders who download and trade child pornography online.
Allyn Matthew Burtle, 20, of Nilwood, Ill., was charged in Macoupin County Circuit Court with one count of solicitation of child pornography, a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison, and two counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies punishable by up to three to seven years in prison. Burtle’s bond was set at $200,000.
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“My office will continue to work with local law enforcement agencies to apprehend individuals who prey upon children online,” Raoul said. “I also urge parents and guardians to know who their children are corresponding with on the internet and other online platforms.”
Raoul’s investigators, with the assistance of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s office, conducted a search of a residence on Wednesday, Sept. 30, on Ryder Street in Nilwood and arrested Burtle after discovering evidence that he had allegedly solicited child pornography. The Attorney General’s office will prosecute the case along with the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s office.
“We are grateful that the Attorney General’s office continues to work these types of cases,” said Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Khal. “If it wasn’t for the cooperation between local law enforcement and the Attorney General’s office, these crimes would go undetected.”
“I would like to thank law enforcement for their swift response in protecting our most vulnerable,” said State’s Attorney Jennifer Watson. “Individuals who prey on our children are vile, and these charges start the path to justice for the victims of this heinous act.”
The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The arrest is part of Attorney General Raoul’s work to investigate and prosecute child pornographers in Illinois. 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. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 1,700 arrests of sexual predators. The task force has also provided internet safety training and education to more than 950,000 parents, teachers and students and more than 22,000 law enforcement professionals.
