PEORIA — A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted a Mattoon man on a series of child pornography charges.

Jeffrey S. Belles, 28, had been detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bernthal two weeks ago following his arrest March 2.

A release from the U.S. Attorney’s office said Belles was indicted for distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.

If convicted of the most serious counts, Belles faces up to 20 years in prison and up to life on supervised release after the completion of any prison sentence.

According to court records, on various dates beginning in September 2009, a Mattoon Police Department detective serving on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement working group identified a computer offering to participate in distribution of what appeared to be child pornography via a peer-to-peer network.

The officer browsed the computer, later identified as belonging to Belles, and found video files that allegedly depict children engaged in sexual activity, including with adults.

The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement and the Illinois Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task
force and members of the working group including the Mattoon Police Department.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to
combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by
the Department of Justice.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.