Zion man accused of molesting girls, having child porn

A Zion man has been charged with molesting two girls and of possessing child pornography, according to the Lake County sheriff's office.

John P. Kerr, 49, of the 3200 block of Ezra Avenue, faces two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and five counts of possession of child pornography. He remains in the Lake County jail on 10 percent of a $750,000 bond set by a judge, police said Tuesday.

Police said a joint child porn investigation that led to Kerr was launched last month by the sheriff's cybercrimes unit with help from Lake County state's attorney's office investigators.

Kerr was seized by authorities after a search warrant was executed at his home Friday, April 25. Among the evidence collected were devices capable of storing electronic media.

A forensic examination of the media devices revealed an extensive amount of images identified as child pornography, police said.

During the probe, authorities said, it was learned two girls were sexually abused by Kerr for a period of about four years ago. Police said the girls were younger than 13 when the attacks occurred.

Kerr, who's slated to appear for a May 13 hearing in Lake County circuit court, is the third child porn suspect to be nabbed by investigators in less than a month.

Police announced April 14 that Richard V. Jinkens, 48, of the 2000 block of Elizabeth Avenue in Zion, faces five counts of felony child pornography possession.

On March 28, authorities announced that Jason C. Boettcher, 26, of the 39200 block of North Spruce Street in unincorporated Lake Villa Township, was charged with five counts of child pornography possession.

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