EDWARDSVILLE – New details have emerged in the recent Madison County case of an Edwardsville man accused of possessing and disseminating child pornography.
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James T. Berry, 24, of Edwardsville, was charged on Jan. 23, 2025 with seven counts of child pornography, including three Class X felonies and four Class 2 felonies.
A petition filed in Madison County court to keep Berry detained brings further insights into the investigation that lead to his arrest.
“In September and October 2024, the Edwardsville Police Department received cybertips from the Internet Crimes Against Children data system,” the petition states. “The tip was generated via a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) from the mobile messaging website Kik.
“The cybertip reported multiple files containing child sexual abuse material had been uploaded by a user identified through multiple sources to be the defendant. On Jan. 22, 2025, the defendant was interviewed and admitted that the Kik user account was his.”
Further investigation revealed Berry possessed a mobile device containing multiple files of child porn, some of which he had been disseminating via the Kik app. He was charged with disseminating three such files on Sept. 14, 2024 and possessing four more files on Jan. 22, 2025.
The Edwardsville Police Department presented the case against Berry, who has since waived his right to a detention hearing and submitted to pretrial detention. Madison County Sheriff’s Office records show he currently remains in custody.
To report child sexual exploitation, visit report.cybertip.org to file a cybertip with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which can be done anonymously.
Charges are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
