ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OBTAINS GUILTY PLEA FROM STARK COUNTY MAN FOR DISSEMINATING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OBTAINS GUILTY PLEA FROM STARK COUNTY MAN FOR DISSEMINATING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

April 04, 2025

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today his office obtained a guilty plea from a Stark County man for disseminating child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul's ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.

The Attorney General's office prosecuted Matthew R. Shipp, 21, of Toulon, Illinois. Shipp pleaded guilty in a Stark County Circuit Court to one count of dissemination of child pornography, a Class X felony. Stark County Circuit Court Judge James A. Mack sentenced Shipp to 12 years in prison, which he immediately started serving.

"This guilty plea can help survivors who have been exploited to continue their healing process of the horrific trauma caused by perpetrators who share sexual abuse material online," Raoul said. "I am proud of the commitment and execution of my Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and will continue to partner with local law enforcement agencies to hold these offenders accountable."

In November 2023, Raoul's investigators, along with officers from the Geneseo Police Department, searched Shipp's residence and arrested him after discovering evidence of child sexual abuse material.

Raoul's office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2024, reports to the ICAC increased by 11% over 2023.

Illinois' ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General's ICAC Task Force has received more than 54,700 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 900 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General's ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,300 arrests of sexual predators. In 2024, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 45 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to tens of thousands of parents, teachers, students and law enforcement professionals.

Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Shantikumar Kulkarni prosecuted this case for Raoul's High Tech Crimes Bureau.