ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police say Sean Whippler, 29, was arrested Thursday after officers found images of child pornography on his phone.
In 2019, Whippler was convicted of criminal sexual abuse of a Roscoe victim under the age of 13 and served 180 days in prison — which included 70 days he had already spent behind bars prior to his sentencing.
At the time, Whippler’s attorney, Elder Granger II, defended his client, saying, “You have circumstances where someone is low risk, they have no prior record, they’re not likely to (become a repeat offender) in the future. So, then probation is a good sentence.”
However, according to the arrest documents, agents with the Illinois State Police and the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force raided an apartment, in the 4900 block of Linden Road, around 6:10 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Police said Whippler’s cellphone contained multiple images of children under the age of 13 engaged in explicit sexual acts.
In an interview with investigators, Whippler admitted to possessing child pornography in the past but “adamantly denied finding sexual gratification from them,” according to the police report.
He was taken into custody and booked into the Winnebago County Jail on two counts of Child Pornography.