BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A man is in custody on child pornography charges, and police say there may be victims they have not been able to identify yet.
Garrett Pelch, 34, was charged with seven counts of possession of child pornography after police said evidence was found on his "equipment" after a search warrant was conducted at his home.
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department said it started investigating Pelch after the Illinois Attorney General’s Office of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force informed the department of an online tip. The tip alleged someone who lived at a home on Deer Run Road was transferring and possessing child pornography.
Police said they seized equipment from Pelch's home and discovered evidence of child pornography. Pelch was also taken into custody during the execution of the search warrant.
One of the charges was for possession of child pornography of a victim under the age of 13 and the other six were for possession of child pornography of a victim under the age of 18.
Police said there are "no known victims" at this time, but they are asking parents to call them if their child has had any suspicious interactions with Pelch. Parents can call Investigator Chris Hoernis at 618-825-5779.
Pelch is being held on a $150,000 bond at the St. Clair County jail.
The arrest is part of the Illinois Attorney General's office's work to investigate child pornography in Illinois. Kwame Raoul's office runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. It is funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The task force receives CyberTips and online reports of child pornography from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
