Wheaton man faces child porn charges

Wheaton police on Feb. 7 arrested Robert J. Morales, of the 1600 block of Monticello Court, on a warrant for five counts of possession of child pornography – victim under 13. Each count is a Class 2 felony, which carries a potential sentence of four to seven years of imprisonment, according to authorities.

Morales’ arrest is the result of an investigation by Wheaton police, acting on a cyber crimes tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office. Wheaton police, in cooperation with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, obtained and executed search warrants that led to evidence supporting the charges against Morales, police said.

“I would like to thank Detective Hayward and all of those who assisted in the investigation for their diligent and thorough work leading to Mr. Morales’ arrest and charges,” Wheaton Deputy Police Chief P.J. Youker said in a statement, “Child pornography is nearly impossible to remove from the internet, and it revictimizes the already exploited. Mr. Morales allegedly participated in this abuse and should be held responsible for his actions.”

“Child pornography is not a victimless crime. Every time one of these images is downloaded or shared on the internet, child pornography claims another young, innocent victim. To protect these most vulnerable, my office stands ready to vigorously prosecute any allegations of child pornography,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

Morales on Feb. 8 was released on bond with conditions including no contact with any individual under the age of 18 (with exception to his child). His next court appearance is March 6.