Suburban man with 200 files of child porn charged

MATTESON, Ill. — A 27-year-old Matteson man is facing felony child pornography charges after police found hundreds of files of child porn on his phone and social media accounts.

Brendon Brown appeared in the 6th District Cook County Circuit Court for a bond hearing Wednesday after the Cook County Sheriff’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit arrested Brendon Brown a day earlier.

The ICAC Unit’s investigation — originally kicked off by a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children — discovered Brown was soliciting two minors over a span of 2-3 years and that he viewed and shared underage pornographic images and videos on his social media accounts.

After investigators obtained search warrants to seize Brown’s cell phone and other electronic devices, a forensic examination of his devices and social media accounts revealed approximately 200 files of sexual abuse material and child pornography of children as young as toddlers, police said.

According to police, Brown told investigators he had been texting and sending the two minors explicit photos and videos of himself with the goal of meeting them for sex. He also stated he used multiple social media apps to view, share and download child pornography.

Brown was charged with both solicitation and dissemination of child pornography (class 10 felonies), as well as possession of child pornography (class 2 felony), indecent solicitation of a child (class 4 felony) and two counts of grooming (class 4 felony).

Brown is being held without bond awaiting his next court date.