Crime & Safety
Man Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography
The Crystal Lake man is accused of disseminating two images showing a child under the age of 13 engaged in a sexual act.
A Crystal Lake man has been arrested and charged after investigators found he distributed child pornography on a messaging app, court documents show.
Ryan N. Niesen, 22, of the 4300 block of Fox Creek Drive in Crystal Lake, was charged with two counts of reproducing child pornography, a Class X felony.
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A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Niesen knowingly disseminated two images in November 2021. The images showed a child, who was under the age of 13, engaged in an act of sexual conduct, the complaint said.
The images were uploaded and disseminated on the messaging application Discord, the complaint showed. It was not known how investigators were first alerted to the crime.
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The case was investigated by detectives with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.
Charges were filed against Niesen on Tuesday and he was later taken into custody.
His bond was set at $60,000 and he was released from the McHenry County Jail after posting $6,000 cash.
A status of preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
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