From the State’s Attorney:
JUDGE GRANTS STATE’S PETITION TO DETAIN MCHENRY MAN ACCUSED OF DISSEMINATION OF CHILD SEX ABUSE MATERIAL
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese announces that on February 18, 2026, the Honorable Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the State’s petition to deny pretrial release for Payton McIntosh, 20, of McHenry, Illinois.
McIntosh appeared in Initial Appearance Court on February 18, 2026, charged with ten counts of dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) class X felonies.
Evidence was presented at the hearing that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department began investigating McIntosh after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Internet Crimes Against Children in December of 2025.
The cybertip identified a file of suspected CSAM being disseminated through a Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. account using their cloud-based storage server.
Investigative efforts connected the Synchronoss Technologies account to McIntosh’s phone number.
Upon executing a search warrant on McIntosh’s residence, wherein detectives seized his cell phone.
Digital examiners from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office assisted by conducting a forensic investigation which identified over 250 child notable images and videos of CSAM on McIntosh’s cell phone.
Additional files containing CSAM were found in McIntosh’s personal Telegram account that investigators determined were disseminated by him to other users on January 24, 2026.
In granting of the State’s Petition to Deny Pretrial Release, Judge Lamb found that there were no conditions or combination of conditions that exist to mitigate the risk that McIntosh poses to the community.
State’s Attorney Freese commends the thorough investigative work done by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department and appreciates the assistance from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office with their forensic examination of McIntosh’s phone.
“Internet predators once believed a screen name was a shield—but in the age of digital footprints and advanced cyber-tracking, every click leaves a trail, our law enforcement partners are only a warrant away from identifying these offenders.
“And once caught, our office intends on holding each one of these predators accountable,” State’s Attorney Freese stated.
Until further order of the court, McIntosh must remain in the custody of the McHenry County Jail during the pendency of this case. McIntosh’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 4, 2026, in courtroom 302.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
