A registered sex offender in Aurora is back in court after cops say a multi-year investigation turned up alleged child sexual abuse evidence linked to him. Robert Terry May, 38, was arrested last Wednesday and has been charged with 10 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and five charges of failing to register as a sex offender. He was freed on pretrial supervision and is set to return to Kane County court on May 28.
According to Aurora police, May, who resides in the 700 block of Serendipity Drive, was arrested on April 29 without incident and lodged into the Kane County Adult Justice Center. A judge later ordered his release on pretrial monitoring. He is charged with 10 felony charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and five felony counts of failing to register as a sex offender, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The case stems from reports received through national child-safety systems. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reviews tips and can forward them to Internet Crimes Against Children task teams or local police. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC’s CyberTipline and the ICAC network frequently initiate long digital forensics investigations as investigators pursue internet accounts, devices, and service-provider records.
According to police and local reports, May was previously convicted of child pornography in Kentucky in 2014. Detectives obtained search warrants and examined electronic devices for forensic evidence as part of the ongoing investigation. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, May is scheduled to return to Kane County court on May 28, with few details from Thursday’s detention hearing.
Illinois law compels those who must register as sex offenders to keep their addresses and other identifying information up to date. Failure to comply can result in prosecution under the Sex Offender Registration Act, which outlines both the registration requirements and potential penalties. Possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material are covered by the state’s criminal code at 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1 and can result in significant prison time, with moving-image offenses and prior convictions in particular potentially raising charges to more serious felony levels, according to the Illinois General Assembly and the statute at 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1.
May’s court appearance on May 28 could reveal more about the volume and content of the suspected materials, as well as if prosecutors want to file more counts or seek sentencing enhancements. Further developments are expected through the court docket and reports from Aurora police.
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