Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Macomb, Illinois man prosecuted by his office was sentenced to 15 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Christopher A. Fugate, 39, was sentenced by McDonough County Circuit Court Judge Nigel Graham and after pleading guilty to three Class 2 felony counts of possession of child pornography.
“Child predators must be held accountable for their participation in the exploitation of innocent children,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to continued collaborations with local law enforcement agencies and state’s attorneys to keep Illinois’ families and communities safe.”
Fugate was prosecuted as part of Attorney General Raoul’s ongoing efforts to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Illinois State Police, McDonough County Sheriff’s Office and Macomb Police Department, conducted a search of Fugate’s Macomb residence in February 2024 and arrested Fugate when evidence of child pornography was discovered.
Attorney General Raoul’s office prosecuted the case with McDonough County State’s Attorney Matthew Kwacala’s office.
“My office greatly appreciates the work that Attorney General Raoul, and his staff have done to bring this sexual predator to justice and protect McDonough County from further harm,” Kwacala said.
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 2024, reports to the ICAC increased by 25% over 2023.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 185 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 50,880 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 915 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,300 arrests of sexual predators. In 2024, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 45 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to tens of thousands of parents, teachers, students and 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.
Assistant Attorneys General Katherine Hegarty and Nicole Bartell prosecuted the case for Raoul’s office.
