GILLESPIE — A Gillespie man pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Macoupin County Circuit Court to possessing and disseminating child sexual abuse material, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work with federal and local law enforcement agencies in Illinois to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.
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Robert L. Jones, 48, of Gillespie, pleaded guilty to one count of dissemination of child sexual abuse material involving a victim under age 13, a Class X felony, and two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material involving a victim under age 13, both Class 1 felonies.
A sentencing hearing for Jones is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2026.
“Today’s guilty plea is an important step toward providing community members with peace of mind in knowing that the defendant can no longer exploit children,” Raoul said. “The work done by the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and my office’s collaboration with the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s office have been critical in this case, and I will continue to partner with federal and local authorities to protect children and families in Central Illinois.”
Raoul’s office is prosecuting the case with Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison’s office.
“Over the last half-decade, the Illinois Attorney General's office, in conjunction with local law enforcement, has aggressively pursued child pornographers in Macoupin County,” Garrison said. “Today's results show that their partnership with local law enforcement produces real results in protecting the citizens of Macoupin County. I want to thank AAG Shanti Kulkarni for his extraordinary work on these cases.”
In October 2023, investigators from Raoul’s office and officers from the Gillespie Police Department searched Jones’ residence in Gillespie. Jones was taken into custody when investigators discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material.
Raoul’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.
Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Deputy Bureau Chief Shantikumar Kulkarni is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
