Update/posted 1:25 p.m. Feb. 5:
A Joliet man described as a mentally disabled Trinity Services resident was charged with aggravated child pornography for taking photos of a naked 4-year-old boy, Will County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said.
A Trinity Services employee saw the photos on Chris Crichton's computer and contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Jan. 10, Hoffmeyer said. The sheriff's department was called in to investigate on Jan. 18, and a warrant for Crichton's arrest was issued Jan. 30, she said.
Crichton allegedly look while at a relative's home over the Christmas holidays, she said.
Other than the child being unclothed, the photos were not explicitly sexual in nature, Hoffmeyer said. The charge is aggravated, however, because Crichton took them himself, she said.
Crichton, who is described as having a learning disability, has been a Trinity Services resident for the last decade, she said.
Original story/posted 1:30 a.m. Feb. 5:
A Joliet man was arrested Monday and charged with aggravated child pornography.
Bond was set at $20,000 for Chris R. Crichton, 30, who was released after posting $2,000 bail Monday night, according to Will County jail records.
The arrest was handled by the Will County Sheriff's Office. More details on the arrest should be available Tuesday.
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That said, I fully realize that mental disability does not mean "excused from the law". If the photos were taken for sexual purposes then he should be prosecuted. But being familiar with the level of disability of Trinity residents, I find it hard to believe he would have the capacity to take illicit photos of a child, load them onto his computer, and hide all this from his family. As for the mug shot, it clearly demonstrates his inability to understand the gravity of the situation.