Lake Villa area man charged in child porn case

LAKE VILLA – A man from unincorporated Lake Villa has been charged with child pornography after being found with nude images and videos of his roommate’s child, police said.

On June 12, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in the 37400 block of West Park Lane, near Lake Villa, for a report of child pornography that had been discovered on the cellular phone of a resident of the same address, according to a news release.

Further investigation revealed Eric R. Studdard, 37, possessed numerous videos and images of child pornography, including child pornography of a juvenile who lived at the same address, police said.

Studdard has been charged with child pornography (a Class X felony), child pornography (a Class 2 felony) and two counts of child pornography (Class 3 felonies).

“Thankfully the mother of the victim immediately contacted our office when she discovered the images of her daughter on the offender’s phone,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in a news release. “It remains incredibly important for parents and guardians to routinely review the content of your children’s electronic devices.”

Sheriff’s detectives continue to investigate and additional charges are possible.

Studdard was being held in the Lake County Jail pending an initial court hearing.