Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced on Mar. 10 that a Lebanon, Illinois man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. The sentencing is part of ongoing efforts by Raoul’s office, in partnership with federal and local law enforcement agencies, to address the online distribution and possession of such material.
The case highlights the continued focus on protecting children from exploitation and holding offenders accountable. Tyson Schmitt, age 41, received his sentence from St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Watson after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography, both classified as Class 2 felonies. Schmitt was already a registered sex offender due to a previous conviction in 2013 for indecent solicitation and sexual exploitation of a child.
Raoul said, “Survivors of child exploitation and their families face a lifetime of trauma from reprehensible images on the internet. My office will continue to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to protect Illinois children by identifying and holding offenders who prey on them accountable.”
Investigators from Raoul’s office searched Schmitt’s residence in March 2022 and found evidence leading to his arrest. The Attorney General’s office operates the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with support from the U.S. Department of Justice. This task force investigates crimes involving child exploitation and provides training for law enforcement agencies across Illinois. Reports made through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline have increased over recent years; in 2025 alone, reports rose by 45% compared to the previous year.
The ICAC Task Force is one of 61 such groups nationwide and includes more than 200 local, county, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Since its inception in 2006, it has been involved in over 2,500 arrests related to sexual predators; since 2019 alone there have been more than 1,800 arrests and over 76,500 CyberTips received. In addition to investigations and rescues—over thirty children were rescued from ongoing abuse in 2025—the task force has provided internet safety education to more than one million parents, teachers, students, as well as training for over twenty-five thousand law enforcement professionals.
Raoul reminded the public that incidents of child sexual exploitation can be reported at cybertipline.com or through state resources at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov; information about local advocacy centers is available at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
According to the official website, the Illinois Attorney General advocates for vulnerable groups including workers, immigrants and seniors according to the official website. The office handles thousands of consumer complaints each year according to the official website, aims to protect consumers while promoting safer communities according to the official website, extends advocacy efforts statewide according to the official website, partners with law enforcement agencies according to the official website, and offers services such as complaint filing for consumer fraud or civil rights issues according to the official website.
Assistant Attorney General Jenifer Peck prosecuted this case within Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.