Smithton Man Charged With Production Of Child Pornography

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Kyle W. Oberg, 37, of Smithton, Illinois, was charged on a two-count Indictment charging him with Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The alleged violations took place between on or about November 23, 2012, and June 27, 2013, in St. Clair County. After a detention hearing, the Court ordered that Oberg be held without bond pending trial.

“My office will not cease to protect the most vulnerable individuals in our society.” noted United States Attorney Wigginton. “Crimes against children hurt every member of our society.”

A trial date has been set for October 28, 2013. If convicted, Oberg faces a term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) years but not more than 30 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years up to life.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by the Smithton Police Department and the United States Secret Service Southern Illinois Cyber-Crime Unit. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.