From the State’s Attorney:
COURT GRANTS STATE’S ATTORNEY’S PETITION TO DETAIN MCHENRY MAN CHARGED WITH DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi Freese announced today that the Honorable Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the State’s Attorney’s Office’s petition to deny pretrial release for Timothy Chapman, 36, of McHenry, Illinois.
Chapman appeared in Initial Appearance Court on March 11, 2026, charged with
- seven counts of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material, class X felonies, and t
- wo counts of Solicitation of Child Sexual Abuse Material, class 1 felonies.
Evidence presented in court this afternoon revealed that the McHenry Police Department began investigating Chapman in July 2025 after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through the Internet Crimes Against Children data system.
The tip identified a user on the messaging platform Kik who was distributing child sexual abuse material through a private chat.
Detectives launched an investigation and determined that the IP address associated with the reported activity was linked to Chapman.
As the investigation progressed over the following months, investigators uncovered multiple email addresses and online usernames connected to Chapman across several social media platforms.
Authorities allege that he used many of these accounts to communicate with and solicit child sexual abuse material from female minors.
During the investigation, Chapman was also linked to at least six additional cyber tips reporting the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Chapman’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 25, 2026, in courtroom 302.
State’s Attorney Freese commends the work of the officers involved from McHenry Police Department as well as the tipster that brought this to law enforcement’s attention.
“We are grateful to the individual who came forward and reported this conduct. The willingness of community members to speak up when they see something concerning plays a critical role in protecting children and helping law enforcement hold offenders accountable. We also appreciate the Court’s careful consideration of the evidence presented today and the decision to grant our petition to detain. This ruling helps ensure the safety of our community while this case proceeds through the judicial process,” State’s Attorney Freese said.
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.
