CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Macoupin County man prosecuted by his office was sentenced to six years in prison for solicitation of child pornography followed by two years of probation for possession of child pornography.
Allyn Matthew Burtle, 22, of Nilwood, Illinois, was sentenced on Thursday by Macoupin County Circuit Court Judge Joshua Meyer after pleading guilty to one Class X felony count of child pornography solicitation and one Class 2 felony count of possession of child pornography with a victim under the age of 13.
“Every day, members of my Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force work tirelessly to identify and track down individuals who assault and exploit children,” Raoul said. “This sentencing highlights the vital work of this task force. I will continue to partner with law enforcement and state’s attorneys throughout Illinois to ensure justice for victims of exploitation and sexual assault.”
Raoul alleges Burtle requested pictures that were sexual in nature from a child he met while playing an online game despite knowing the child was under 13 years old. In September of 2020, investigators from Raoul’s office, with the assistance of the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at Burtle’s residence and arrested Burtle after digital forensic examiners located child pornography depicting other victims on his cell phone.
Attorney General Raoul’s office prosecuted the case with Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison’s office.
“Collaboration between Attorney General Raoul’s office and local authorities is crucial in investigating and prosecuting these kind of heinous crimes,” Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison said. “I would like to thank the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and all law enforcement entities for their steadfast work to hold child predators accountable.”
The case is part of Attorney General Raoul’s work to investigate and prosecute child pornographers in Illinois. 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 pornography, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2021, reports to the ICAC increased by 42% over 2020.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC Task Forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 285 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 24,100 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 408 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 1,840 arrests of sexual predators. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to more than 962,779 parents, teachers and students, in addition to more than 23,250 law enforcement professionals.
Raoul reminds the public that online child sexual exploitation can be reported at www.cybertipline.com and child abuse can be reported at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found here: www.childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Assistant Attorney General Shantikumar Kulkarni handled the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau. Jared McDermet served as lead investigator and James Stapleton handled forensics for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.