Attorney General Kwame Raoul has secured a guilty plea from Brandon Swiskoski, a resident of Spring Valley, Illinois, in a case concerning the possession of child sexual abuse material. This prosecution is part of Raoul's broader efforts, which involve collaboration with federal and local law enforcement agencies across Illinois to target individuals who download and distribute such material online.
Swiskoski, aged 30, pleaded guilty to three counts of Class 1 possession of child pornography. These charges were enhanced felonies due to his prior conviction for similar offenses. Bureau County Circuit Court Judge Geno Caffarini sentenced him to 35 years in prison.
"Sentences like this help protect other children from the trauma of exploitation," Raoul stated. "My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to continued collaborations with the Bureau County state’s attorney to keep communities safe."
The prosecution was carried out by Raoul's office in conjunction with Bureau County State’s Attorney Tom Briddick. The case forms part of the work done by the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which operates under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. This task force investigates crimes related to child exploitation and provides training for law enforcement agencies.
The ICAC Task Force receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which are online reports about child sexual assault materials. In recent years, these reports have seen a significant increase; in 2023 alone, there was a 46% rise compared to 2022.
Illinois' ICAC Task Force is one among 61 such task forces nationwide and includes over 210 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in more than 2,200 arrests related to sexual predators and has provided internet safety training to numerous parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement professionals.
Raoul emphasizes that incidents of child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com or through dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov for cases of child abuse. Additionally, information on local child advocacy centers is available at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Katherine Hegarty handled the prosecution as part of Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.