ROCKFORD - A man from Lake in the Hills has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford on charges of child pornography.
PAUL W. CHRISTMANN, 50, was charged Tuesday with two counts of transporting child pornography via the internet in 2013, and one count of possessing two computers in 2017 containing images of child pornography.
Each count of transporting child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and possessing child pornography carries a maximum of up to ten years in prison. Each count carries a $250,000 maximum fine. If Christmann is convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
