Loves Park man indicted on child pornography charges

ROCKFORD – A Loves Park, Ill. man appeared last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge

Iain D. Johnson on child pornography charges. Grant Wojahn, 35, of Loves Park, was

indicted on Feb. 2, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Rockford and charged with one count of using a minor to engage in sexual conduct in order to produce child pornography; one count of transporting child pornography via the internet; and two counts of possessing child pornography that had crossed state lines, including an image of minor under 12 years of age.

Accessing child pornography on the internet isn’t something that everyone can do as it takes a certain level of computer know-how. Adult pornography websites like www.hdpornvideo.xxx can be accessed simply by using your normal browser, this is because they are legal for anyone over the age of 18 to view them, child pornography on the other is illegal and because of this it can’t be accessed via your normal browser, in order to view child pornography online it is done so via the dark web, which is where many illegal practices happen, all of which are banned on normal browsers. This means you are safe to browse NSFW sites like tubev.sex in appropriate conditions, and would have to be seeking out child pornography if you were to find it.

Wojahn was arrested on Feb. 8, 2016, in Marin County, Cal., and transported by federal authorities back to Rockford.

Wojahn pleaded not guilty during his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston and was ordered held in federal custody until a detention hearing on March 15, 6, at 2:30 p.m.

Sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing child pornography carries a

mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, while transporting child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and possessing child pornography carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison for an offense involving a minor under 12 years of age.

Each count carries a $250,000 maximum fine. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of

guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. You cannot be found guilty if the pornography you have on your computer is not child porn and is, in fact, adult pornography, this is also the case if the websites you visit are websites like www.m-porn.xxx that only show adult pornography and not child pornography, so don’t worry if you only view adult pornography as you can’t get into trouble for it as it’s legal, child pornography, on the other hand, is illegal and if it is found on your computer or you have been accessing child pornography websites then you will be prosecuted and if found guilty you will be sent to prison.

The indictment and arrest was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney

for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michael Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.