KEWANEE — A Kewanee man was arrested and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material, following an “extended investigation,” police reported.
A news release issued Tuesday by the police department said Andre Gerts, 24, of Kewanee, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of child sexual abuse material and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.
The news release said police “conducted an operation that concluded an extended investigation” that led to Gerts’s arrest.
Earlier this year, the release said, the Peru Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding potential criminal activity. Peru police determined that the alleged offenses had occurred within the jurisdiction of Kewanee.
The investigation was subsequently forwarded to the Kewanee Police Department Investigations Division, which is part of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
On Tuesday Kewanee police executed a warrant with assistance from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and the Kewanee Fire Department.
Officers found and arrested Gerts without incident, the news release said. “A search of the residence was conducted, and multiple pieces of evidence were collected,” the release said.
Gerts was taken to the Henry County Jail. The Henry County State’s Attorney’s Office will review the case for official charges.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to the Peru Police Department and the Illinois Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force for their investigative efforts, as well as to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and Kewanee Fire Department for their assistance during the execution of the search warrant,” the news release said.
