A 58-year-old man who has lived in the Salem and Effingham area most recently has been charged in Marion County Court with five Class X charges of child sexual abuse material.
Michael Greer is accused of having possession and disseminating videos of a child under the age of 13 engaging in a sex act.
The investigation was conducted by the Illinois Attorney General’s office following a cyber tip of his activities. Search warrants were executed on Yahoo, Verizon, Charter and the social media site Kik. Information from Kik provided to the court also allegedly showed Greer discussing sexual acts on a child as young as three.
State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth says state law has changed to rename all of what were child pornography charges to now be called ‘child sexual abuse material’ charges. The various penalties for violation have not changed.
During Greer’s first appearance in court on Thursday, Judge Ericka Sanders ordered him held without bond until his preliminary hearing on February 17th. In the order, the judge noted Greer is a truck driver, travels regularly, and has no fixed residence. Sanders also found the offenses are non-probational, and the very nature of the charge causes harm to the public and children.
