Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed charges against Anthony Mallet, a resident of Goreville, Illinois. Mallet faces allegations of sexually assaulting a minor and producing and disseminating child sexual abuse material. The charges are part of an ongoing initiative by Raoul's office in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement to address the online trade of child sexual abuse material.
Mallet, aged 37, was charged in Johnson County Circuit Court with two counts each of predatory criminal sexual assault of a minor and production of child pornography, along with five counts of dissemination of child pornography. These charges are classified as Class X felonies, carrying potential sentences of up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by the court. Mallet is currently held at the Johnson County Jail, with his next court appearance scheduled for April 9.
Attorney General Raoul emphasized the impact on victims, stating: "The trauma experienced by survivors of child exploitation and their families can leave lasting scars that never fully heal." He affirmed his commitment to working with Illinois State Police and other agencies to hold offenders accountable.
The investigation involved a search conducted by Raoul’s investigators alongside officers from the Illinois State Police (ISP) and Johnson County Sheriff’s Department at Mallet's residence on South Royal Street in Goreville on February 25. Evidence related to the alleged crimes was found during this search.
ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly commented on the nature of such crimes: “Preying on children is a deplorable crime and Illinois State Police special agents are relentless in their investigations of predators.” He reiterated ISP's dedication to collaborating with law enforcement partners to protect children.
The prosecution is being handled by Raoul’s office in conjunction with Johnson County State’s Attorney Tambra Cain. The public is reminded that Mallet is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Raoul's office operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. This task force investigates child exploitation crimes and provides training for law enforcement agencies. It receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which have increased over recent years—by 11% from 2023 to 2024 alone.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one among 61 across the United States, comprising over 200 law enforcement agencies at various levels. Since its inception, it has received more than 54,700 CyberTips since 2019 and has been involved in over 2,300 arrests since 2006. In addition to making arrests, it rescued more than 45 children from ongoing abuse in 2024 alone while providing internet safety education widely.
Attorney General Raoul encourages reporting child sexual exploitation online at cybertipline.com or child abuse through dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local advocacy centers can be accessed via childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Vanessa Minor is prosecuting this case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.