Brookfield man facing child pornography charges

A 29-year-old Brookfield man is facing felony child pornography and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor charges after an investigation by the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, Sheriff Thomas Dart announced.

On Aug. 1, ICAC investigators arrested Miguel Montesinos Jr., of the 3400 block of Vernon Avenue, after they found he viewed and shared numerous files containing child sex abuse material, authorities said.

ICAC officers began their monthslong investigation after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding videos and images of child pornography being shared and downloaded via a social media account linked to Montesinos. A search warrant for the account revealed it contained about 100 files of sexually explicit videos of children, according to a Cook County Sheriff’s Department news release.

After being arrested, Montesinos said the social media account belonged to him and that he viewed child pornography on his cellphone on several occasions. Upon further investigation, officers learned he allegedly had sex with a teenager during a four-year period that began when he was 24 years old. The victim, who now is an adult, was offered assistance through the Sheriff’s Police Victim Support Services Unit.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of dissemination of child pornography, a Class X felony, possession of child pornography and aggravated criminal sex abuse of a minor, according to the release.

Montesinos’ bond was set at $200,000.

Since 2020, investigations by the Sheriff’s ICAC Unit have led to charges against 38 individuals for cases involving the victimization of children and child pornography.