A federal grand jury in Rockford has indicted a man from Stephenson County, Illinois, on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children. Collin T. Zier, 39, from Lena, Illinois, faces one count each of producing, transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
The charge of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. The charges for transporting and receiving child pornography have mandatory minimum sentences of five years and maximums of 20 years each. Possessing child pornography could result in a maximum sentence of ten years.
Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced the indictment alongside Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge at the FBI's Chicago Field Office. The investigation received assistance from the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim represents the government in this case.
Authorities remind the public that an indictment is not evidence of guilt; it only contains charges. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders while providing services to victims.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of sexual exploitation is encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via their website or by calling their hotline available around-the-clock.