Rantoul Man Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography,Possession of Prepubescent Child Pornography

URBANA, Ill. – A Rantoul, Ill., man, Robert A. Decker, 56, of the 400 Block of S. Steffler Street, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Urbana on Sept. 8, 2017, for arraignment on charges of distribution of child pornography and possession of prepubescent child pornography.

The grand jury returned the two-count indictment on Sept. 5, 2017. The indictment alleges that Decker distributed images of child pornography using a facility of interstate or foreign commerce on or about June 6, 2017. The indictment also alleges that on July 17, 2017, Decker possessed computer processing units, hard drives, mobile devices and other digital storage materials, which contain images and videos of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained twelve years of age.

If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of distribution and possession of prepubescent child pornography is 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Decker was arrested on Aug. 11, 2017, in the Eastern District of Arkansas after being charged in a criminal complaint in the Central District of Illinois. During a court appearance on Aug. 14, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe, in Little Rock, Ark., Decker was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office; the Urbana Police Department; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations.

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

The 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 U.S. 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.