A 45-year-old Galesburg man was arrested on Thursday, facing charges related to child pornography, according to the Illinois State Police.
Destan L. Hoots was charged with 15 counts of Possession of Child Pornography Involving Children Under 13 (Class 2 Felony) and one count of Dissemination of Child Pornography (Class X Felony) after a search of his home revealed illicit materials.
ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 2 Special Agents executed a search warrant at Hoots’ residence in the 400 block of North Academy Street in Galesburg. During the operation, electronic evidence was collected and analyzed, uncovering child sexual abuse materials. Hoots was subsequently arrested and transported to the Knox County Jail, where he awaits further court proceedings.
The Galesburg Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and the Illinois Attorney General’s High-Tech Crimes Unit assisted with the investigation. No additional details about the case have been released at this time.
The ISP emphasized its commitment to protecting children and combating such crimes, offering resources for parents and the public to report child sexual abuse materials anonymously through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.com. For guidance on keeping kids safe online, visit https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/onlinesafe/ or www.cybertipline.org. Survivors of sexual abuse can access support resources at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources.
