A Huntley man has been charged with 17 counts of possessing and distributing images of child sex abuse, police said in a news release Thursday.
John T. Ruffolo, 20, is charged with five counts of distribution of child sexual abuse materials, which are Class X felonies, as well as 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials involving a child younger than 13 and two counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials involving a child young than 18, according to McHenry County court records and a news release from the Huntley Police Department.
Authorities said the investigation began in July when the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided Huntley police with information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The center’s data system reported a Huntley-based IP address was attempting to share potential child sexual abuse materials for download via a cloud-based, client-server service, police said in the news release.
The Huntley Police Department’s Investigations Division then conducted a probe that led to Ruffolo, authorities said.
On Wednesday, detectives from the Huntley Police Department and investigators from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from Illinois State Police and Lake County Sheriff’s Office’s K-9 Enzo, served a search warrant at his home.
“Ruffolo agreed to come to the Police Department while Huntley Police Department Detectives and Illinois Attorney General Investigators completed an examination and analysis of several seized electronic devices,” police said.
Based on what authorities said was found, Ruffolo was charged and taken into custody.
Huntley police had issued an alert Wednesday morning that they were conducting an “isolated investigation” near the area of Ruffolo’s residence. “This is a local matter and there is no threat to the public.”
Ruffolo was in custody of McHenry County jail Thursday and scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon for a detention hearing. He did not have an attorney listed in court records Thursday.
Police said this is still an active investigation and asked that anyone with information to contact the Huntley Police Department at 847-515-5311. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling the Huntley Police Tip Line at 847-515-5333.