A man in unincorporated Antioch has been charged in connection with having child sexual abuse images after he initially gave police a made-up story about how he came into possession of the images, police said.

About 3:30 p.m. March 25., deputies went to meet with Stuart M. Lowrey, 35, of unincorporated Antioch, according to a news release. Lowrey told deputies that while he was walking in his neighborhood, he was approached by a woman. He said the woman handed him a cellphone and told him there were child sexual abuse images on the device. Lowrey stated that the woman also provided him with the phone’s passcode before walking away, according to the release.

Lowrey said that when he returned home, he used the passcode to unlock the phone and located videos depicting a young child engaged in sexual acts. Lowrey told deputies that he identified the child depicted in the videos as a relative of his, according to the release.

Due to inconsistencies in Lowrey’s account, deputies requested the assistance of a sheriff’s detective. During a subsequent conversation with the detective, Lowrey changed his version of events multiple times and ultimately admitted he had fabricated the initial story, according to the release.

Further investigation revealed that Lowrey is involved in an ongoing custody dispute with the child’s mother, police said. Lowrey is a distant relative of the child and had previously obtained custody of her. Investigators said that Lowrey had taken photographs of the child and the child’s mother and used an online service to generate sexually explicit videos using those images, including videos depicting the child, according to the release.

Sheriff’s detectives arrested Lowrey and initially charged him with filing a false police report. Detectives also obtained a search warrant for Lowrey’s cellphone. After Lowrey’s arrest, the child was taken into protective custody by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The child also was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center, police said.

A forensic analysis of Lowrey’s phone revealed numerous videos of child sexual abuse images, including additional AI-generated videos exploiting the child and the child’s mother.

Lowrey has been charged with five counts of producing child sexual images, which are Class X felonies.

Sheriff’s detectives arrested Lowrey at his home on April 1. Detectives also executed a search warrant at the residence earlier that day and seized additional electronic devices, which are pending forensic analysis, according to the release.

Lowrey appeared in detention court and was ordered to be detained in the Lake County Jail while awaiting trial, pursuant to the petition to detain filed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are likely, according to the release.