Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Decatur, Illinois man was sentenced to eight years in prison for possessing and 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.
Charles Bolsen, 66, was sentenced today by Macon County Circuit Court Judge Thomas E. Griffith after pleading guilty to one count of Class X felony dissemination of child pornography and one count of Class 2 felony possession of child pornography.
“Today’s sentence represents justice for exploited and abused children and acknowledges the often lifetime of trauma survivors and their families experience,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to collaborate with law enforcement officers throughout the state to protect children from exploitation and hold offenders accountable.”
Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Decatur Police Department and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search of Bolsen’s residence in Decatur in July 2024. He was arrested after evidence of child sexual abuse material was discovered.
Raoul’s office prosecuted the case with the assistance of Macon County State’s Attorney Diane Couri’s Office.
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 Task Force increased by 11% 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 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 60,000 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,000 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,400 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.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Nicole Bartell prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
