Teen indicted on child pornography charges.(News)

Byline: Elena Ferrarin eferrarin@dailyherald.com

The arraignment for a Lake in the Hills teenager charged with child pornography is scheduled for April 6 in McHenry County court.

Joseph J. Szkykowny-Biegel, 18, of the 0-100 block of Rochelle Court, was arrested at 5:45 a.m. Feb. 24 at his home and charged with two counts of child pornography and two counts of aggravated child pornography, Lake in the Hills police said. Szykowny-Biegel was indicted Wednesday by a McHenry County grand jury. He was released from McHenry County jail Feb. 25 after posting the required 10 percent bail that was set at $40,000.

The arrest resulted from an investigation initiated by the Huntley Police Department, which is part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said Lake in the Hills Police Chief of Support Services Mary Frake. The Illinois Attorney General's office also assisted, she said.

Several images of child pornography were found on Szykowny-Biegel's computer, where the images had been sent to and from, she said. Szykowny-Biegel did not know the children in the pictures, she said. "They are known, identified child pornography images from a databasethat the attorney general has identified," she said.

Huntley first notified Lake in the Hills on Feb. 8 that the exchange of child pornographywas taking place, Frake said. "We worked together in identifying the individual and the search warrant was obtained," she said.

McHenry County Assistant State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally said that if found guilty of aggravated child pornography, a Class 2 felony, Szykowny-Biegel could be sentenced to three to seven years in prison, or up to 30 months probation and up to 180 days in jail. Child pornography is a Class 3 felony with a possible 2- to 5-year prison sentence, or the same probationary period and jail time.