ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OBTAINS 19-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR METRO-EAST MAN WHO REPRODUCED CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OBTAINS 19-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR METRO-EAST MAN WHO REPRODUCED CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

October 15, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Belleville, Illinois man was sentenced to 19 years in prison for reproducing child sexual abuse material.

Jacob W. Burkert, 32, was sentenced on Thursday in St. Clair County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to two Class X felony counts of reproducing child sexual abuse material of victims under the age of 13.

"I hope that this sentencing gives survivors and their families the justice needed to help heal from the unimaginable trauma they have been through," Raoul said. "I am proud of the work of my Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the collaboration with local law enforcement in holding this offender accountable."

In January, Raoul's investigators, along with officers from the Belleville Police Department, conducted a search of Burkert's residence in the 200 block of Greenleaf Circle in Belleville. Burkert was arrested after evidence of child sexual abuse material was found.

Raoul's office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.

Illinois' ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC Task Forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General's ICAC Task Force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,150 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to over 1 million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals.

Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.

Assistant Attorney General David Sternau prosecuted the case for Raoul's office.