Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a Belleville, Illinois resident, Joshua Gallant, with possessing child sexual abuse material. The charges are part of Raoul's collaboration with federal and local law enforcement agencies to address the issue of online child exploitation in Illinois.
Joshua Gallant, aged 42, faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography involving a child under 13. These are classified as Class 2 felonies, each carrying a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by the court. Gallant is currently held at St. Clair County Jail, with his next court appearance scheduled for October 7.
Raoul stated, "Children who are victims of online exploitation deserve a healing process that starts with perpetrators being held accountable for the trauma they have caused." He emphasized the commitment of his office's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to work with law enforcement across the state to protect children and hold offenders accountable.
Investigators from Raoul’s office and officers from the Belleville Police Department searched Gallant’s residence on Muren Boulevard in Belleville on October 3, leading to his arrest after evidence was found.
The public is reminded that Gallant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, supported by a U.S. Department of Justice grant, plays a crucial role in investigating child exploitation crimes and training law enforcement agencies. It receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Reports have increased significantly over recent years, with a 46% rise noted in 2023 compared to 2022.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one among 61 such task forces nationwide and involves more than 185 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in over 2,145 arrests related to sexual predators.
Raoul encourages reporting child sexual exploitation online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local advocacy centers can be located through childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck is prosecuting the case within Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.