Waukegan Man Uploaded Staggering Amount Of Child Porn Online: Sheriff

WAUKEGAN, IL — A Waukegan man was arrested Thursday after hundreds of photos and videos of children as young as toddlers being sexually assaulted were discovered on his laptop, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

According to investigators, an online cloud storage website reached out to law enforcement after it detected a device in Lake County uploaded child pornography to the platform. Upon getting the notice, detectives began investigating and determined the source was coming from a residence in the 1100 block of Gladys Court in Waukegan.

During the investigation, detectives spoke to a resident of one home in the area, identified as 21-year-old Brandon Robertson, and took his laptop.

"The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit conducted a forensic analysis of the laptop. Their analysis revealed close to 200 images and videos containing child pornography, some of which depicted children as young as toddlers being sexually assaulted," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

This week, the sheriff's department served an arrest warrant for Robertson and carried out a search warrant for his home. During the search, several additional devices with electronic services were uncovered, according to law enforcement.

Forensic scientists are currently analyzing the additional devices, and it is believed they will contain more child pornography, the sheriff's department said.

“Protecting our children from those who seek to harm them is among our highest priorities. Our detectives work tirelessly to identify and apprehend child predators, and this arrest is a testament to their dedication," Sheriff John D. Idleburg said. "We are grateful for the invaluable collaboration with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, as it takes a united effort to bring these offenders to justice. We will continue to use every available resource to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Robertson is currently facing three counts of possessing child pornography, though additional charges could be added as the investigation continues, authorities said.

Robertson is in custody at the Lake County jail pending a detention hearing Friday afternoon.