Kewanee man arrested on child porn, unlawful use of weapons charges

May 2024 · 2 minute read

A Kewanee man is behind bars after he was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography.

On August 23, the Kewanee Police Department, with the assistance of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Illinois State Police and the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, arrested Thomas J. Motley, 29 of Kewanee on five counts of possession of child pornography (possessing photos where the victims are less than 13 years old), a class 2 felony, and unlawful use of weapons, a class A misdemeanor.

The arrest came after an investigation that developed from information received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The information indicated multiple images of child pornography were in the possession of a subject residing in Kewanee. An investigation led detectives to Motley. They obtained and executed search warrants on August 22 on Motley’s residence and his vehicle and the Illinois Attorney General’s Digital Forensics Division processed the evidence. He faces a potential sentence of a minimum of three years, up to a maximum of 35 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections if convicted. If convicted, each offense will be sentenced consecutively due to the nature of the crime.

Motley is currently being held at the Henry County Jail on $300,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for August 28 at 1 p.m. at the Henry County Courthouse.

This investigation is still ongoing, and more charges are expected.

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