Steger man charged with child porn video possession

A Steger man was caught with child pornography on his cellphone and laptop, police said.

On March 18, Carter Watson, 21, of the 3700 block of Union Avenue was booked into the Will County jail on charges of child pornography.

Watson was in possession of digital videos showing child pornography on Oct. 7, according to a criminal complaint filed in Will County court.

The charges were the result of a Steger Police Department investigation.

In an affidavit filed in court, a Steger police detective said officers searched Watson’s home after receiving a tip from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Police received a tip regarding Watson uploading images of child pornography to the instant messaging app Discord, according to the detective’s affidavit.

Officers recovered Watson’s cellphone and laptop and then discovered child pornography on those devices, the detective’s affidavit said.

After the police investigation, Judge Chrystel Gavlin signed a warrant for Watson’s arrest that carries a $2 million bond.

Four years ago, another person from Steger was charged and eventually convicted of child pornography.

Former special education teacher Michael Levin, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography while three other counts were dropped. He was sentenced to two years of probation.