Porn Conviction, Bar Charges
An Illinois attorney has been charged with ethical violations based on his criminal conviction
Prior to June 2015, Arlington Heights police began investigating Respondent after receiving tips that had been submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child pornography had been downloaded via multiple Twitter accounts from an Internet service provider address belonging to Respondent.
In June 2015, Arlington Heights police searched Respondent’s home and seized a laptop computer, several external hard drives, jump drives, CDs and DVDs, containing more than 500 images and 50 videos of child pornography, including images of children under the age of 13 engaged in sexual activity.
On July 22, 2015, a Cook County grand jury indicted Respondent on 31 counts of the offense of child pornography in the matter of People of the State of Illinois v. James Crowley, docket number 15 CR -11467. Count one of the indictment charged that Respondent, with knowledge of the nature or content thereof, possessed any film, videotape, photograph or other similar visual reproduction or depiction by computer, to wit: moving depiction by computer, of any child whom Respondent knew or reasonably should have known to be under the age of thirteen, where such child is actually or by simulation engaged in any act of sexual penetration or sexual conduct with any person, in violation of Chapter 720 Act 5 Section 11-20.1(a)(6)(i)/(c-5) of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
Count two of the indictment charged that Respondent, with knowledge of the nature or content thereof, possessed any film, videotape, photography or other similar visual reproduction or depiction by computer, to wit: moving depiction by computer, of any child whom Respondent knew or reasonably should have known to be under the age of thirteen, where such child is actually or by simulation engaged in any act of sexual penetration or sexual conduct involving the sex organ of the child and the mouth of another person, in violation of Chapter 720 Act 5 Section 11-20.1(a)(6)(ii)/(c-5) of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
On May 19, 2016, Respondent entered into a voluntary plea of guilty to Counts one and two of the indictment. Respondent was sentenced to serve six months in the Cook County Department of Corrections, 48 months of sex offender probation, and fined $1,199. The State’s Attorney nolle prossed counts three through 31 of the indictment upon Respondent’s plea of guilty.
The Chicago Tribune reported on the criminal charges. (Mike Frisch)