Oregon man pleads not guilty to possessing images of child sexual abuse

OREGON – A rural Oregon man pleaded not guilty to possessing images of child sexual abuse when he appeared in Ogle County court Wednesday.

Kris D. Stubblefield, 32, was arraigned on eight counts of possessing images after being arrested last month by the Ogle County sheriff’s deputies who received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Stubblefield’s home, located east of Oregon, was searched Oct. 12 after a monthslong investigation. He was arrested Oct. 21 and charged the next day with possession of six videos of children engaged in sex acts and two lewd photos of children. Charging documents say all of the children were under the age of 13 and some were as young as 3.

On Wednesday, Stubblefield appeared before Ogle County Judge John Redington in shackles, wearing the standard orange jumpsuit issued to all prisoners.

Ogle County Public Defender Michael O’Brien said his client intended to waive his right to a preliminary hearing and enter a not guilty plea.

“Is that what you want to do?,” Redington asked.

“That is true,” Stubblefield replied.

O’Brien also entered a jury trial demand, a common procedural step in most criminal felony cases.

Redington set the next pretrial date for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 9.

Wednesday was the second time Stubblefield appeared in court. He made his initial appearance Oct. 24 before Judge Clayton Lindsey where Assistant Ogle County State’s Attorney Heather Kruse argued to keep Stubblefield in custody, citing reports from the Illinois attorney general and the sheriff’s office that he is registered as a juvenile sex offender and was in possession of more than 1,500 images of children engaged in sex acts with adults and some with other children.

Kruse said the photos and videos were found on Stubblefield’s phone.

When police searched his home, he agreed to speak to law enforcement and told one Ogle County sheriff’s detective that he was a “purveyor of taboo material,” Kruse said.

“The defendant also used file-sharing services to share files and to access ‘chats’ on how to find files,” Kruse said. “Because of his admissions to detectives about downloading and storing these images, he poses a real and present threat to the community and the public.”

She said other cases when Stubblefield was a juvenile show “an ongoing problem, especially with younger children”. She argued he should remain in jail because “there is no way to monitor him.”

Public Defender Kathleen Isley argued for Stubblefield’s release, citing his cooperation with law enforcement.

“We do acknowledge this is an extremely serious offense. He does have a juvenile record from when he was a teen that has been adjudicated, and he has remained on the sex offender list,” Isley said Oct. 24.

Isley said there was no indication that Stubblefield had failed to report or to be monitored. She said he did not elude law enforcement in any way, and he has no history of violence. She argued that any conditions for his release could be controlled by the court to mitigate any threat to the public.

Lindsey said the charges were too serious to allow his release, noting that 1,500 files were found and there was a huge public concern over child pornography and human trafficking. Stubblefield’s juvenile convictions also weighed on the decision to keep him in jail, Lindsey said.

Redington agreed, denying the defense’s motion for a pretrial release. “The current conditions continue as necessary,” he said on Wednesday.

The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, both of which work through the Illinois Crimes Against Children task force to target abusive crimes against children, assisted in the investigation. Charging documents indicate the offenses occurred in August and October.

To report or for information

There are various ways for people to quickly and easily report suspected incidents of child sexual exploitation that occur on the internet, including activities involving the possession, manufacture and distribution of images of child sexual abuse, online enticement of children for sexual purposes, child prostitution, child sex tourism, child sexual molestation and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child.

To report online child exploitation, email the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at Illinois.icactip@ilag.gov; to report anyone suspected of possessing or making images of child sexual abuse, email ReportChildPorn@ilag.gov.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also has a CyberTipline online at childhelphotline.org or by calling 800-422-4453.