Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Cahokia Heights, Illinois man was sentenced to 20 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. 

Jamie Canter, 64, was sentenced today by St. Clair County Judge John O’Gara after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography, Class 1 felonies.

“It is my hope that today’s sentence can help survivors and their families heal from the trauma they have experienced,” 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.” 

Raoul’s investigators conducted a search of Canter’s residence in Cahokia Heights in December 2022. He was arrested after evidence of child sexual abuse material was found. The U.S. Marshals, St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and Cahokia Heights Police Department assisted with the arrest.

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.  

Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.