Springfield, Ill. – A Clinton, Illinois man, John M. Thorp, 48, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with receiving child pornography. Thorp, of the 5500 block of Stone Road, was arrested on Aug. 27, and was released with conditions today following a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Byron G. Cudmore.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in February 2010, federal agents identified Thorp’s Internet address as having allegedly purchased a subscription to a commercial child pornography website. Federal agents executed a search warrant of Thorp’s residence on Aug. 26, 2010, and recovered images of alleged child pornography in DVDs, books and printed media as well as images downloaded from the Internet to Thorp’s computer.

If convicted, the offense of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years to 20 years in prison. Following imprisonment, the defendant may be ordered to remain on supervised release for up to life.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target commercial child pornography websites. The East Peoria Police Department also assisted in the investigation as a member of the working group. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore is prosecuting the case.

Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.