Skip to main content
Press Release

Loves Park Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois

ROCKFORD — A Loves Park, Ill. man appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnson on child pornography charges. 

GRANT WOJAHN, 35, of Loves Park, Ill., was indicted on Feb. 2, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Rockford and charged with one count of using a minor to engage in sexual conduct in order to produce child pornography, one count of transporting child pornography via the internet, and two counts of possessing child pornography that had crossed state lines, including an image of a minor under 12 years of age.  Wojahn was arrested on Feb. 8, 2016, in Marin County, Cal., and transported by federal authorities back to Rockford.  Wojahn pleaded not guilty during his arraignment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston and was ordered held in federal custody until a detention hearing on March 15, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.

Sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, while 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 10 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison for an offense involving a minor under 12 years of age.  Each count carries a $250,000 maximum fine.  If 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 and arrest were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michael Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.

Indictment

Updated March 10, 2016

Topics
Cybercrime
Human Trafficking