Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that Charles Huelsmann, a 63-year-old resident of Germantown, Illinois, has been sentenced to 32 years in prison. The sentence was handed down by Clinton County Circuit Court Judge Douglas Gruenke following Huelsmann's guilty plea to two Class X felony counts of dissemination of child pornography.
Raoul emphasized the importance of holding child predators accountable, stating, “Child predators must be held accountable for their participation in the exploitation of innocent children.” He also highlighted the commitment of his office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to work with local law enforcement and state attorneys to ensure community safety.
The investigation into Huelsmann began when Attorney General Raoul’s team, along with officers from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and Swansea Police Department, conducted a search at his residence in May 2024. Evidence found during this search led to Huelsmann's arrest.
The prosecution was carried out by Attorney General Raoul’s office in collaboration with Clinton County State’s Attorney J.D. Brandmeyer’s office. Brandmeyer praised law enforcement efforts, saying, “I commend the diligent work of law enforcement in investigating this case, and I hope that this sentence will send a message that the abuse and exploitation of children will not be tolerated in our county.”
Raoul's office operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with support from a U.S. Department of Justice grant. This task force investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. In 2024 alone, reports to ICAC increased by 11% compared to 2023.
The Illinois ICAC Task Force is part of a nationwide network comprising over 200 local, county, state, and federal agencies. Since its inception in 2019, it has received more than 54,700 CyberTips and participated in over 900 arrests related to sexual predation. Additionally, since 2006 it has been involved in more than 2,300 arrests and rescued over 45 child victims from ongoing abuse just last year.
Attorney General Raoul encourages reporting child sexual exploitation online at cybertipline.com or child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local advocacy centers can be accessed through childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Shantikumar Kulkarni prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.