Mt. Morris man sentenced to four years of probation for possessing images of sexual abuse of children

OREGON — A Mt. Morris man pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of possessing images of child sexual abuse on his cellphone.

Christopher J. Kaepplinger, 54, was sentenced to four years probation with a long list of special conditions through a plea agreement approved by Ogle County Associate Circuit Judge Anthony Peska.

Kaepplinger was taken into custody Oct. 31, 2024, after Ogle County sheriff’s detectives and officers with the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigations searched his apartment in Mt. Morris and found images of children younger than 13 in sexual poses on his cellphone.

He was charged Nov. 1 with six counts of possessing images of child sexual abuse, all Class 2 felonies that carry a maximum jail term of three to seven years. On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to three of those charges – two photos of nude girls ages 5-6 and one video of a 5-year-old engaged in a sex act. Three counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

“The defendant did admit that those images on his phone were his,” Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Kruse told Peska.

She said police were led to Kaepplinger after receiving “cyber tips” from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A phone registered to Kaepplinger had been used to upload images of children being sexually abused. And, she said, Kaepplinger had used an internet search to find images of children being sexually exploited

Kruse said Kaepplinger had little criminal history: a battery charge in 1991 and an alcohol violation.

Assistant Public Defender Michael O’Brien agreed that the charges levied against Kaepplinger were “very serious”, but argued his client was a good candidate for rehabilitation.

“These are very serious offenses, but the evaluator thought he [Kaepplinger] is a good candidate for restorative character,” O’Brien said. “He [Kaepplinger] has been addressing difficult issues and that needs to be part of his rehabilitation.”

In December, O’Brien requested Kaepplinger undergo a sex offender evaluation.

During a November hearing, Kruse said Kaepplinger had been battling his addiction “since he was little” and told police “he knew the day would come” when they searched his home and arrested him.

On Wednesday, Peska said he had reviewed Kaepplinger’s psychological/sexual assessment and noted that recommendations from that evaluation were incorporated into the plea agreement. Peska said the evaluator had indicated Kaepplinger had a low risk of recidivism – offending again.

“There are a lot of specific recommendations that I think you should do because they will help you as a human being. ... and I am ordering you to do that,” Peska told Kaepplinger, referring to the conditions of his probation.

Peska told Kaepplinger that if he violated any conditions of his probation he could be sentenced to at least three years in prison for each offense.

“I read your evaluation, and it seems like you had a pretty rough upbringing. And quite a few things that you really wouldn’t wish on anybody to have to go through,” Peska told Kaepplinger. “You have been very forthcoming about everything, ... admitting that you did something and have a problem. That is a first step to recovery.”

Peska said he believed Kaepplinger’s abstinence from consuming alcohol would benefit his recovery efforts.

“After the lessons I’ve learned about my past, I will not be drinking alcohol by my choice,” Kaepplinger replied.

Peska asked Kaepplinger if he wanted to speak before his sentence was levied. “No your honor I wouldn’t. Thank you,” Kaepplinger replied.

Peska said Kaepplinger told the evaluator that viewing “proper” adult pornography led to viewing and possessing child pornography.

“There seems to be a slippery slope of that, too. You even talk to the evaluator about how it started at one thing and just kept getting worse and worse,” Peska said. “You are not the first person to say that. You are not the first person to feel that way. You start walking down a path and then all of the sudden things get more degrading, more violent, more risky, more taboo and then finally it’s just plain out illegal. And then it becomes more and more dangerous.

“In situations like this when it involves children, if there is not a demand I really like to think the supply dries up. Kids are getting hurt in situations like this. And even though you may not be the person posing these children, or hurting them directly, because of the demand is why there is still a supply,” Peska said, urging Kaepplinger to avoid any pornography “at all costs”.

In addition, Kaepplinger was sentenced to 180 days in jail, but was given credit of time served (147 days), satisfying that aspect of the sentence. Kaepplinger also was ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and costs over the course of his probation sentence.

Supplemental conditions of Kaepplinger’s probation include completing treatment for sex offenders approved by the Sex Offender Management Board through the Sex Offender Management Board Act, and not residing at the same address, condominium or apartment complex with any person known to be a convicted sex offender or who has been placed on supervision for a sex offense.

That condition does not apply to a person who is placed in a Department of Corrections-licensed transitional facility for sex offenders.

Kaepplinger was ordered to have no contact, directly or indirectly, with children younger than 18 without a previous order of the court or prior written approval from his probation officer. He also must be available for all evaluations and treatment programs required by the court or probation office.

Another condition forbids Kaepplinger from accessing a computer or any other device with internet capability without prior written approval of his probation officer, except in connection with his employment or search for employment, again with prior approval.

He also must submit to periodic, unannounced examinations of his computer or any other device with internet capability by his probation officer, a law enforcement officer or an assigned computer or information technology specialist, including retrieval and copying of all data from the computer or device and any internal or external peripherals and removal of such information, equipment, or device to conduct a more thorough investigation.

He must also pay for the installation of any hardware or software systems on any device with internet capability in order to monitor his internet use. Kaepplinger cannot knowingly use any “computer scrub software” on any computer he uses.

In addition, he cannot participate in a holiday event involving children younger than 18, “such as distributing candy or other items on Halloween, wearing a Santa Claus costume ... or wearing an Easter bunny costume.”

And he cannot be employed or volunteer for any work that gives him access to or authority or control over children younger than 18.

He is also responsible for all fees and costs for treatment, assessment, evaluation for risk and treatment as well as any monitoring “based on his ability to pay” as they occur or under a payment plan.

Kaepplinger had been held in the Ogle County Jail since his arrest.