Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on Aug. 16, 2016, Kyle W. Oberg, 40, Smithton, IL, pled guilty to a three-count Superseding Indictment charging him with two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (Counts 1 and 2) in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a), and Possession of Prepubescent Child Pornography (Count 3), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2). On each of Counts 1 and 2, Oberg faces a term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) but not more than thirty (30) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of five (5) years to life. On Count 3, Oberg faces a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty (20) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of five (5) years to life. Oberg has been detained since his arraignment on Aug. 22, 2013. His sentencing date is Jan. 27, 2017, in East St. Louis, Illinois.
On July 18, 2013, the Smithton Police Department executed a state search warrant at Oberg’s residence and seized Oberg’s desktop computer. Oberg’s hard drive was later searched pursuant to a federal warrant. A forensic analysis of the hard drive revealed approximately 337 images and three videos of a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At the times the images and videos were taken the minor child was five and six years old. Police obtained the warrant to search Oberg’s residence after receiving a complaint from the minor child’s mother, who was concerned about Oberg’s behavior towards the minor child. Oberg took advantage of his familiarity with the minor child to induce or coerce the child into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing the images and videos.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
The case was investigated by the Smithton Police Department and the United States Secret Service’s Cyber-Crime Unit. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
