Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that Sergio Alberto Zuniga-Chapol of Granite City, Illinois, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Zuniga-Chapol pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material, as part of Raoul's efforts in collaboration with federal and local law enforcement to combat online distribution of such material.
Zuniga-Chapol, 26, was prosecuted by Raoul's office and sentenced by Madison County Circuit Court Judge Amy Maher. He pleaded guilty to four Class 2 felony counts related to possessing child pornography involving minors under 13. Following his prison term, Zuniga-Chapol will face three years to life of mandatory supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
Raoul remarked, "This sentence represents a degree of justice for the young victims who are exploited and abused by child sexual abuse material. I will continue to partner with local law enforcement agencies to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent additional children from becoming victims of these horrific crimes."
In May 2023, Raoul's investigators, with assistance from multiple local law enforcement agencies, arrested Zuniga-Chapol after finding evidence of child sexual abuse material at his residence.
The Attorney General’s office, supported by a U.S. Department of Justice grant, operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The task force investigates child exploitation crimes, trains law enforcement, and receives CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. CyberTipline reports have increased annually; notably, in 2024, reports to ICAC rose by 11% compared to 2023.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is part of a nationwide network of 61 similar task forces, involving over 200 law enforcement agencies across various levels. Since 2019, Raoul’s task force has processed more than 54,700 CyberTips and facilitated over 900 arrests related to sexual predation. Cumulatively since 2006, more than 2,300 arrests have been made. The task force also rescued over 45 children from abuse in 2024 and has educated many on internet safety.
Attorney General Raoul urges the public to report child sexual exploitation at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local child advocacy resources can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney Generals Courtney Lindbeck and Jenifer Peck prosecuted the case within Raoul's High Tech Crimes Bureau.