ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL: MACOUPIN COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL ABUSE AND DISSEMINATING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL: MACOUPIN COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL ABUSE AND DISSEMINATING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

January 27, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a Virden, Illinois man pleaded guilty to charges of sexual abuse and the dissemination of child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul's ongoing work to collaborate with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.

Jacob R. Rogers, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of Class X felony dissemination of child pornography involving children under the age of 13 and two counts of Class 2 felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse. His sentencing is scheduled for May 1.

"Those who prey on and victimize innocent children must be held accountable," Raoul said. "I will continue to partner with local law enforcement agencies to hold perpetrators accountable and prevent additional children from becoming victims of these horrific crimes."

Raoul's investigators, with the assistance of the Macoupin County Sheriff's Office and the Virden Police Department, searched Rogers' residence in April 2022, and arrested him after discovering evidence that he had shared child sexual abuse material.

Raoul's office is prosecuting the case with Macoupin County State's Attorney Jordan Garrison's office.

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 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.

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 76,500 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,800 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General's ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 2,500 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to over 1 million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 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.

Deputy Bureau Chief Shantikumar Kulkarni is prosecuting the case for Raoul's High Tech Crimes Bureau.