Frankfort man arrested on child pornography possession charges

October 30

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that Mark B. Smith, 53, of Frankfort, has been charged with six counts of possession of child pornography.

The arrest was the culmination of a two-month investigation by State’s Attorney Glasgow’s High Technology Crimes Unit in cooperation with the Frankfort Police Department, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Affiliates and the U.S. Secret Service.

The law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant on Wednesday at Smith’s house in the 400 block of Lincoln Avenue in Frankfort.

The criminal complaints allege Smith was downloading and distributing pornographic images of children as young as 9 as well as videos of children involved in sexual encounters with adults.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit has been in existence since March of 2012 and has executed more than 45 search warrants in cases involving the sexual exploitation of our children in Will County. In addition to charges involving the possession and trading of child pornography, these investigations have resulted in charges against individuals who are alleged to have sexually abused children.
   
The Frankfort Police Department and the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office remind the public that charges are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.