Lee County judge allows release of Dixon man charged with disseminating images of child sex abuse

DIXON — A Lee County judge decided Monday, July 7, to allow the pretrial release of a Dixon man accused of disseminating images and videos of child sexual abuse.

Heath A. Knipple, 46, was charged in Lee County on Wednesday, July 2, with six counts of Class X felony dissemination of images of child sex abuse, with each listing the victim as younger than 13. He was arrested by the FBI that day while investigators searched his residence in the 1200 block of Fourth Avenue in Dixon, according to court documents.

[ FBI arrests Dixon man on 6 charges of disseminating child sex abuse images: Illinois attorney general ]

The charges stem from a cybertip by an online messenger platform that the Illinois Attorney General’s Office investigated in July 2024. The platform reported a user for sharing and uploading seven videos and images matching those of known files with child sex abuse images, according to court documents.

On Feb. 2, 2025, a search warrant was issued to the phone and messaging platform companies, which provided the IP addresses used to access the messenger account and identified Knipple as the account holder, according to court documents.

The day of Knipple’s arrest, during an interview with law enforcement, Knipple “admitted to disseminating child pornography on multiple group chats and during conversations in the KIK [messaging] platform. The defendant estimates he shared less than 10 child pornography videos and images via KIK,” according to the probable cause affidavit filed by the IAG.

The charges are all alleged to have occurred on June 27, 2024, according to Lee County court documents, and each charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison if Knipple is convicted.

Knipple has been held at the Whiteside County Jail in Morrison and is being represented by Sterling attorney James Mertes. Knipple appeared before Lee County Judge Matthew T. Klahn at 2:15 p.m. Monday for a detention hearing wearing handcuffs, leg irons and dressed in an orange jumpsuit issued to inmates.

Klahn said that the prosecution and defense have “made this a very, very difficult decision,” but denied Assistant Illinois Attorney General David Haslett’s petition to detain. He said he would write a written statement for his ruling.

Klahn allowed Knipple’s release with many conditions, which include GPS monitoring, no contact with anybody under the age of 18, no access to any electronics or the internet and he is not allowed to be present at any schools, daycares, or events that are designed for the participation or benefit of minors.

Klahn also said that any internet use by Knipple’s wife and three adult children living in the household has to be password protected. Knipple is not allowed access to those devices nor is he allowed to know their passwords, Klahn said.

Mertes, Knipple’s attorney, said he will write up affidavits for the family members to sign stating that they will comply with the court’s request.

Klahn told Knipple if any of the conditions are violated and the case is brought to his court again “then we are not talking about release anymore.”

Knipple’s next court appearance is a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. July 23 with Lee County Judge Jacquelyn D. Ackert.

A preliminary hearing is held to determine if there is enough evidence to prove whether a person committed an alleged offense and move toward trial.

Knipple, through Mertes, filed a demand for a speedy trial on July 3, according to court documents.