U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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March 12, 2004 Schiller Park Man Arrested for Distribution of Child Pornography Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today the arrest of KERBY GROSS, age 33, of 9829 West Lawrence Avenue in Schiller Park, Illinois. GROSS was arrested at his residence Wednesday afternoon, without incident, by members of the Chicago FBI's Innocent Images Task Force (IITF). GROSS was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Interstate Distribution of Child Pornography, which is a felony offense. According to the complaint, GROSS was identified as a distributor of child pornographic images over the internet, as part of the FBI's on-going Innocent Images investigation. GROSS is alleged to have posted numerous pornographic images of minor children on various web sites, dating back to November of last year. As part of this investigation, IITF members conducted a search of GROSS' residence on March 10th, at which time a personal computer and related hardware items were seized, both of which contained child pornographic images. GROSS was arrested at the scene and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason, Wednesday afternoon, at which time he was ordered held without bond. GROSS is being housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago, pending his next scheduled court appearance. If convicted of the charge against him, GROSS faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years incarceration. The Chicago FBI's Innocent Images Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents, Inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Investigators from the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department and Detectives from the Palos Heights, Illinois Police department. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. EDITOR's NOTE: A copy of the complaint filed against GROSS is available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 786-2645. |
