Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a Granite City, Illinois man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to 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 prosecuted Sergio Alberto Zuniga-Chapol, 26, who was sentenced by Madison County Circuit Court Judge Amy Maher after pleading guilty to four Class 2 felony counts of possessing child pornography involving children under the age of 13. His sentence will be followed by three years to life of mandatory supervised release, and he will also register as a sex offender for life.
“This sentence represents a degree of justice for the young victims who are exploited and abused by child sexual abuse material,” Raoul said. “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, along with officers from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Granite City Police Department, Pontoon Beach Police Department and Bethalto Police Department searched Zuniga-Chapol’s residence and arrested him after discovering 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 2024, reports to the ICAC 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 54,700 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 900 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 Attorney Generals Courtney Lindbeck and Jenifer Peck prosecuted this case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
