Decatur man arrested for possessing child pornography

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A Decatur man has been arrested for possessing child pornography.

Illinois State Police announced the arrest of 28-year-old Dustin M. Blankenship on September 11. ISP, with help from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at a home in Decatur. The search was related to multiple cyber tips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.

On September 12, ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 5 agents presented the evidence to the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Blankenship was charged with six counts of Child Pornography (Class X felonies).

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office, and ISP.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Macon County Crimestoppers.