A Mt. Vernon man has been sentenced to 48 years in prison for disseminating child sexual abuse material, according to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. The sentencing took place in Jefferson County Circuit Court, where Judge Jerry E. Crisel presided after Dustin Phillips, 34, pleaded guilty to three counts of dissemination of child pornography.
Attorney General Raoul stated, “Survivors of child exploitation are revictimized each time these reprehensible images are shared. My office will continue to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to protect Illinois children by identifying and holding offenders who prey on them accountable.”
The investigation involved Raoul’s investigators working with the Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office. A search was conducted at Phillips’ residence in August 2025, where evidence of child sexual abuse material was found.
The prosecution was handled by Raoul’s office with assistance from Jefferson County State’s Attorney Patrick Costa’s office.
Raoul’s office oversees the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The task force investigates child exploitation crimes and provides training for law enforcement agencies across the state. It receives CyberTips—online reports about child sexual abuse material—from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In recent years, reports to the ICAC Task Force have increased significantly; in 2025 alone, they rose by 45% compared to 2024. Since its inception in 2006, the task force has participated in more than 2,500 arrests related to sexual predators and helped rescue over 30 children from ongoing abuse in 2025.
The ICAC Task Force is part of a nationwide network comprising more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies across Illinois. Since 2019, it has received over 76,500 CyberTips and been involved in more than 1,800 arrests since then.
Additionally, internet safety education efforts have reached over one million parents, teachers and students as well as more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals statewide.
Attorney General Raoul reminded residents that online reporting options are available for suspected cases of child sexual exploitation at cybertipline.com or for reporting child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local advocacy centers can be located via childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Bureau Chief Shannon O’Brien and Assistant Attorney General Charles Ewell prosecuted this case on behalf of Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
The Illinois Attorney General acts as the state’s chief legal officer and supports residents through various protective services statewide such as consumer safeguards and community safety initiatives official website. The office also partners with law enforcement agencies to support crime victims and promote open government official website. In addition to handling thousands of consumer complaints annually official website, it extends advocacy efforts for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants and seniors official website.
