The Illinois State Police arrested a Princeton man for Dissemination and Possession of Child Pornography on January 29, 2024. Dawson R. Michael, 23, is charged with three counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography/Victim < 13 (Class X Felony) and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography/Victim < 13 (Class 2 Felony). Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 1 executed a search warrant in the 600 block of Hidden Lake Drive in Princeton on October 24, 2023, and found evidence of child pornography. The Bureau County State’s Attorney approved charges against Mr. Michael on January 25, 2024, and signed an arrest warrant. Dawson Michael was transported to the Bureau County Jail.
The Illinois State Police provide the following resources for parents, for the public to report crimes against children, and for victims to start their path toward healing and recovery. Anonymous tips of child pornography can also be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) cyber tip line at www.cybertipline.com. To keep kids safe online, learn more at https://www.onlinesafeonlinesmart.com//. For resources for survivors of sexual abuse, visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.