Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a Belleville man, Austin A. Wheat, with the dissemination of child sexual abuse material. This action is part of an ongoing effort by Raoul's office to collaborate with federal and local law enforcement in Illinois to apprehend those involved in the online distribution of such material.
Austin A. Wheat, 23, faces seven counts of disseminating child pornography in St. Clair County Circuit Court. Each count is a Class X felony, carrying a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Currently detained at the St. Clair County jail, Wheat's case awaits court determination.
"Survivors of child abuse and exploitation are revictimized each and every time an individual trades or downloads one of these heinous images or videos," said Raoul. "I will continue to partner with law enforcement to investigate and hold alleged perpetrators accountable, and I thank the Swansea Police Department for their assistance with this case."
The arrest followed a search conducted by Raoul’s investigators alongside Swansea Police Department officers at Wheat's residence on North 38th Street in Belleville on November 21st, where evidence was found.
Swansea Police Chief Matthew Blomberg stated, "The Swansea Police Department is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate these crimes and bring justice to the victims." He expressed gratitude for the collaboration with the Attorney General’s office.
Raoul's office operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. This task force investigates child exploitation crimes and provides training for law enforcement agencies while receiving reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The number of CyberTipline reports increased by 46% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Since its inception, Illinois’ ICAC Task Force has contributed to over 2,145 arrests related to sexual predation and has trained numerous parents, teachers, students, and law enforcement personnel on internet safety.
Raoul encourages reporting child sexual exploitation online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local child advocacy centers can be accessed via childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck is prosecuting this case as part of Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.