Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Perry County man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for 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.  

Larry W. Morrison, 57, of Pinckneyville, Illinois was sentenced by Perry County Circuit Court Judge Campanella after pleading guilty to three Class 2 felony counts of child pornography.    

“The child victims of these horrific crimes are exploited each time images are shared, and holding perpetrators accountable can be crucial for the victims, their families and their recoveries from trauma,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to collaborate with local law enforcement agencies to protect Illinois’ children and stop the perpetrators who abuse them.” 

In June 2024, Raoul’s investigators searched Morrison’s Pinckneyville home and arrested him after evidence of child sexual abuse material was discovered. 

Raoul’s office co-prosecuted the case with Perry County State’s Attorney David Searby Jr.’s office. 

“I very much appreciate the efforts, dedication, expertise and assistance that the Illinois Attorney General’s office provides in these types of cases,” said Perry County State’s Attorney David Searby Jr. “This includes the beginning of an investigation, all of the way through final disposition and certainly makes a difference.” 

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 Vanessa Minor prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Criminal Division.