Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a Metro-East man was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to the possession of child sexual abuse material. 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 sexual abuse material online.
Raoul’s office prosecuted Charles B. Zamarron II, 44, who was sentenced on Thursday by St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge John O’Gara after pleading guilty to five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, four counts of failure to register as a sex offender and one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine.
“This sentence brings justice to exploited and abused children who are retraumatized each and every time one of these heinous images or videos are downloaded or shared,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to continued collaborations with local law enforcement agencies to keep Illinois’ families and communities safe.”
Zamarron was arrested in September 2023 after Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, contacted Zamarron and found evidence of child sexual abuse material on his electronic device.
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 sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2024, reports to the ICAC increased by 11% over 2023.
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 50,880 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 915 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,300 arrests of sexual predators. In 2024, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 45 child victims from ongoing abuse. 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 cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
