Kory R. Schulein, Receiving Child Pornography, Illinois 2021

A shocking case of child exploitation has come to light in Southern Illinois. Kory R. Schulein, a 37-year-old man from Sparta, Illinois, pleaded guilty to knowingly receiving child pornography over the internet.

Schulein's crime was uncovered during an FBI investigation of child pornography on the dark web in 2018. Agents tracked his IP address and executed a federal search warrant at his home on October 1, 2019.

According to court documents, Schulein downloaded the child pornography from 2016 to 2019. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirmed the identities of children depicted in over 2,500 images and 100 videos found on his laptop computer and two external hard drives.

Schulein was remanded into federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which is set for August 11, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. He faces 5-20 years in prison on the charge.

The investigation was conducted by FBI-Springfield, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan D. Stump and Trial Attorneys Jessica Urban and Alicia Bove with the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

Schulein's case serves as a stark reminder of the severity of the crime and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/sparta-man-pleads-guilty-receiving-child-pornography