Sycamore man pleads not guilty to reproducing videos of child sex abuse

SYCAMORE – A Sycamore man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to allegations that he reproduced videos depicting child sexual abuse and asked a judge to reconsider his release from the DeKalb County Jail while he awaits trial.

Richard C. Milam, 69, and his Wheaton-based defense lawyer, Neil Levine, appeared before Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick on Wednesday to enter his plea and ask that a jury decide his fate instead.

Charges were filed against Milam on Nov. 17 after Sycamore and Illinois State police executed a search warrant at Milam’s home Nov. 16. During the search, police allegedly found a laptop with multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse, according to DeKalb County court records.

Milam was indicted Monday on three felony counts of visual reproduction of child pornography depicting videos and images of child sexual abuse, according to DeKalb County court records. If convicted of the Class 2 felonies, he could face between two to seven years in prison.

Prosecutors allege that Milam downloaded then viewed the files. Brooks Locke appeared for the prosecution from the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office Wednesday.

Milam allegedly admitted to downloading and viewing files that depicted images of child sexual abuse but told police he “deleted it,” according to court records.

Police said in a court synopsis that Milam allegedly told officers, “in summary, that he used the laptop with a file-sharing program for downloading movies.”

Levine filed a motion Dec. 18 asking a judge to grant his client pretrial release. Milam has been held in police custody at the DeKalb County Jail in Sycamore since his arrest. Associate Judge Jill Konen ordered him detained Nov. 17, granting the request of prosecutors that his release could endanger the public.

Buick on Wednesday ordered that Milam remain in jail at least until his next hearing, set for 9:45 a.m. Jan. 3, according to court records.

Milam’s arrest came after a joint investigation between the the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and Sycamore police.