Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Chicago man was sentenced to 24 years in prison for disseminating 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. 

Nicholas Heaton, 42, was sentenced today by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael R. Clancy after pleading guilty to four counts of the dissemination of child pornography of victims under 13 years old, Class X felonies.

“I hope this sentencing helps the survivors continue to heal from the unimaginable trauma while their perpetrator is behind bars,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to protect Illinois children by identifying and holding offenders who prey on them accountable.”

This case was referred to Raoul’s office by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, after the Chicago Police Department searched Heaton’s Chicago residence in April 2025. He was taken into custody after investigators discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material.

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 76,500 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,800 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,500 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 Shannon O’Brien prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.