Attorney General Raoul: Wabash County Man Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Dissemination Of Child Pornography

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Mt. Carmel, Illinois man co-prosecuted by the Attorney General’s office was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the dissemination of child pornography. 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 pornography online.

Raoul’s office prosecuted Alexander Knotts, 24, who was sentenced by Wabash County Circuit Court Judge William Hudson after he pleaded guilty to three counts of dissemination of child pornography, Class X felonies, and one count of failure to register as a sex offender, a Class 2 felony. Knotts immediately began serving his 40-year sentence.

“This sentence ensures a child predator is held accountable and prevented from being able to exploit more innocent children,” Raoul said. “Collaborations like this one between my office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Wabash County State’s Attorney are helping us protect Illinois families from those who prey on children leaving them with lifelong trauma.”

Knotts was arrested in October 2022 after child pornography was discovered through his online activity. He pleaded guilty in November 2023. While awaiting sentencing, he was arrested in late January 2024 on unrelated charges and ordered detained at the Wabash County Jail until his sentencing hearing. Previously, Knotts was adjudicated as a minor for criminal sexual abuse and later failed to register as a sex offender.

Deputy Bureau Chief Shannon O’Brien prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau with Wabash County State’s Attorney Kelli Storckman.

“I am thankful to the Attorney General’s office for the dedication to child safety of the children of Wabash County and their drive to hold child offenders responsible,” Storckman said. “We share a common mission and the result in this case is a reflection of that.”

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 pornography, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2023, reports to the ICAC increased by 46% over 2022.

Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 185 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 40,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 720 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,010 arrests of sexual predators. 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 www.cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at www.childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.

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