An Illinois State Police officer from Deerfield has been charged with child pornography offenses associated with an app called Kik.
The officer, 38-year-old Colin Gruenke, was identified in reports from Lake and McHenry County.
The investigation apparently started last year when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerted authorities about suspicious activity on Kik. It seems that profiles on the app were used to upload and share child pornographic materials. Kik notified law enforcement in September about multiple accounts engaged in this behavior.
Once links to Gruenke’s home address were established, a search warrant was issued, allowing officials to examine both him and his residence.
According to reports, a search was carried out at the Illinois State Police Headquarters, followed shortly by a search of Gruenke’s home. Evidence of child pornography was found, including deleted images on his phone, some involving children as young as four.
Further investigation revealed a flash drive in his home containing around 200 videos depicting child sexual abuse, including material featuring a 10-year-old.
Gruenke, who was arrested on Wednesday and has since been placed on unpaid administrative leave, is currently in custody as the state police conduct their internal investigation.
Additionally, a statement from the Illinois Amateur Hockey Association noted that Gruenke hosted an event for them in late 2021 but hasn’t been a registered member since the 2021-22 season.
The term “child pornography” is quite common; however, organizations like the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) prefer “Child Sexual Abuse Materials” (CSAM) for accuracy.
The site explains that while some online pornography involves consenting adults, this cannot apply to children, who are legally incapable of consenting to such acts.
All explicit images of minors are deemed as evidence that the child is a victim of sexual abuse.
Gruenke is facing federal charges for one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
