Springfield Man Charged in Child Pornography Case

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a Springfield man with multiple felonies for allegedly creating and possessing child sexual abuse material, part of an ongoing statewide effort to investigate and apprehend online offenders.

Brandon Heimsness, 39, was charged in Sangamon County Circuit Court with 11 Class X felony counts of creating child pornography, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison, and three Class 2 felony counts of possessing child pornography, each punishable by up to seven years. Sentencing will ultimately be determined by the court. Heimsness is being held at the Sangamon County Jail, with his next court appearance scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026.

"Survivors of child exploitation and their families can face life-long trauma, and the predators responsible for these heinous crimes being held accountable can help them begin the healing process,” Raoul said. "My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies like the Springfield Police Department to locate and stop individuals who exploit minors.”

The charges follow a June 17 search of Heimsness’ residence in the 1900 block of North 19th Street in Springfield by investigators from Raoul’s office and the Springfield Police Department. Forensic examiners allegedly found files containing child sexual abuse material on his digital devices.

Raoul’s office will co-prosecute the case with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office. Officials emphasized that Heimsness is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

The Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, funded in part through a U.S. Department of Justice grant, investigates child exploitation offenses and provides training to law enforcement agencies. The task force receives online reports—known as CyberTips—from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Reports continued to rise in 2024, increasing 11% over the previous year.

Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 such task forces nationwide and includes more than 200 participating law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the task force has received more than 60,000 CyberTips and taken part in more than 1,000 arrests of sexual predators. Since 2006, it has been involved in more than 2,400 arrests and, in 2024 alone, helped rescue more than 45 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also provides internet safety training to parents, educators, students, and law enforcement professionals across the state.

The public can report child sexual exploitation at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. A list of local child advocacy centers is available at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.