Deputies: Child pornography suspect sent, received videos on Kik app

NIANTIC, Ill. (WAND) - A man who deputies said admitted to sending and receiving child pornography online is in custody. 

In a sworn statement, the Macon County Sheriff's Office said law enforcement received a tip on Jan. 15 from Kik about a person on the platform with the username "Flagg19" uploading videos of suspected child pornography in January. A grand jury request to Comcast for information based on the IP address received in the tip was returned with a Niantic address. 

Authorities said they served two search warrants, including one for phone records of the Kik account from Feb. 3, 2020 to Feb. 3, 2021 and another for the Niantic address. When serving the warrant at the address on Feb. 5, deputies said they made contact with Joshua R. Skinner, 43. 

The statement said Skinner admitted to creating the Kik account and receiving and sending child pornography videos to various unidentified Kik users. He also admitted the Kik username and email address sent to authorities in the tip were his, per deputies.

Authorities said the children in the videos were all younger than 13, with the youngest appearing to be about 3 years old. They said there were 17 total video files. 

Skinner faces two child pornography related charges. He is held on bail set at $150,000 in Macon County.