Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Defendant is a Local Deacon, Paramedic, Registered Nurse 

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul charged a Dongola, Illinois man for possessing child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.

The Attorney General’s office charged Gregory Brown, 43, in Union County Circuit Court with 12 counts of possession of child pornography of a child under 13 years old, Class 2 felonies each punishable by up to seven years in prison. Sentences are ultimately determined by the court. Brown is being held at the Pulaski County Jail until his detention hearing Oct. 5.

“Child exploitation is an unimaginable crime that leaves survivors and their families with life-long scars,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to work tirelessly with local law enforcement in Union County and around the state to track down and hold accountable those who exploit children.”

Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Illinois State Police, searched Brown’s home on Burns Road in Dongola. Brown was arrested after child sexual abuse material was found on his phone. At the time of his arrest, Brown was worked as a paramedic at a local ambulance company and a registered nurse for a local hospital. He also served as a deacon at a local church. 

The case was investigated by Raoul’s Investigations Division with support from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Raoul’s office is prosecuting the case with Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp. 

“Protection of our children and communities from child predators and sexually dangerous individuals is of the utmost importance to the Union County State’s Attorney,” Tripp said. “We remain committed to ridding our streets and communities of these individuals by any means available under Illinois law.” 

The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Raoul’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.

Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC Task Forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,150 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to over 1 million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals. 

Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org. 

Deputy Bureau Chief Shantikumar Kulkarni is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.