Westville, IL – In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Illinois State Police’s Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 5 has apprehended Grant W. Pate, a 26-year-old resident of Westville, Illinois, on serious allegations of child pornography. Pate faces 11 counts each of Possession of Pornography, classified as a Class 2 Felony, and Dissemination of Child Pornography, a more severe Class X Felony.
According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), the arrest on March 26, 2024, was the culmination of a meticulous investigation sparked by multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). These tips pointed to the presence of child pornography, leading to a residential search warrant being executed in Westville. Pate was subsequently taken into custody and is now held at the Vermilion County Jail.
The investigation was a coordinated effort involving the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office, Westville Police Department, and ISP. Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy underscored the gravity of these offenses, emphasizing the harm to victims and the importance of interagency cooperation in combating such crimes.
To combat and report crimes against children, the ISP encourages the public to utilize resources like the NCMEC CyberTipline. Additionally, resources for survivors of sexual abuse are available through the provided links, alongside information for parents to safeguard children online.
