Joseph R. Washburn, Child Pornography, Illinois 2024

Child Predator Caught in Southern Illinois

Joseph R. Washburn, 33, of Murphysboro, Illinois, has been charged with using a computer to access and download child pornography images from the internet. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.

Washburn’s case was investigated by the Secret Service Southern Illinois Cyber Crimes Task Force, The United States Marshals Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s, the Benton, Illinois, Police Department, and the Murphysboro, Illinois, Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas E. Leggans.

In a separate case, Thomas C. Fulk, 46, of Olney, Illinois, has also been charged with using a computer to access and download child pornography images from the internet in Richland County. Fulk’s case was investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Richland County State’s Attorney, the Illinois State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant, and under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. The investigation into both cases is ongoing, and further charges may be filed.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois takes child pornography offenses very seriously and will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to bring these perpetrators to justice. We urge anyone with information about child exploitation to come forward and report it.

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced the charges, emphasizing the severity of child pornography offenses and the importance of protecting our children from these heinous crimes.

We will continue to monitor this case and provide updates as more information becomes available. We hope that justice will be served and that these defendants will be held accountable for their actions.

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