Joliet Child Pornography Defendant Regains Freedom After 7 Days In Will County Jail

JOLIET, IL — On Tuesday afternoon, as Joliet's temperatures reached 98 degrees outside, 35-year-old Marty Johnson emerged from the Will County Jail, regaining his freedom one week after the Illinois State Police had the Joliet apartment dweller arrested on two counts of child pornography.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow argued that Johnson needed to remain in detention under the SAFE-T-Act, but Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak disagreed, and she ordered Johnson's release on Tuesday.

According to the prosecution's petition to deny pretrial release, back on Feb. 28, Illinois State Police agents David Damron and Aneta Kozmik-Stekala went to Johnson's Joliet apartment on White Birch Lane and Johnson "admitted he had inappropriate pictures of children on his phone. He showed the agents his phone that contained thumbnails of apparent child pornography. The defendant said he knew it was wrong to watch child pornography and that he stopped for a period of time before starting up again.

"The defendant provided the passcodes to his phone and the agents seized the phone."

The prosecution pointed out "there were videos of child pornography found on his phone."

As for Johnson, he lives on his own but has a counselor through Cornerstone Services, the judge was informed.

"The agent spoke with people of Cornerstone and was told the defendant has mild retardation. However, during the interview with the ISP agents, the defendant does admit that he knows it is wrong to have child pornography, that his girlfriend suspected he had child porn, and that he tried to give it up."

The judge also learned from prosecutors that Johnson has no prior criminal history.

"The defendant represents a clear danger to young girls in the community," the prosecution advised. "The defendant admitted to Illinois State Police officers that he is unable to stop accessing and watching child pornography despite knowing that it is wrong. Placing the defendant on home confinement or GPS will not mitigate the danger the defendant poses to children in our community because the defendant must be granted movement on no fewer than two days a week pursuant to statute."