Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced the sentencing of Dallas Ray Campbell, a 27-year-old Effingham County resident, to 20 years in prison for crimes involving child sexual abuse material. Campbell was sentenced by Judge Allan Lollie after pleading guilty to one Class X felony count of dissemination of child pornography and three Class 2 felony counts of possession of child pornography.
"Survivors of child abuse and exploitation are revictimized every time an individual downloads or trades one of these horrific photos or videos," Raoul stated. "My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force works tirelessly to identify and track down individuals who assault and exploit children. I will continue to partner with local law enforcement to locate and hold these offenders accountable."
The case against Campbell was part of Attorney General Raoul's efforts to combat the online trade and download of child sexual abuse material. His arrest followed a search conducted by Raoul's investigators with assistance from the Effingham Police Department in October 2023.
The prosecution was handled by Attorney General Raoul’s office in collaboration with Effingham County State’s Attorney Aaron Jones’ office. Jones expressed his support for the sentence, stating, "This sentence will protect children from abuse and exploitation." He also commended the investigative work done by law enforcement agencies involved, particularly highlighting the efforts of the Illinois Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Effingham Police Department.
Raoul's office manages the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, funded by 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. It receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which have increased significantly over recent years—by 46% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Illinois' ICAC Task Force is part of a nationwide network comprising more than 185 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across 61 task forces. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in over 2,145 arrests related to sexual predators.
Attorney General Raoul encourages public reporting of child sexual exploitation at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Information on local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Katherine Hegarty prosecuted this case as part of Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.