A man from St. Charles Township has been sentenced to nine years in state prison after pleading guilty to a child pornography-related charge, according to a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday.
On Aug. 30, 2023, investigators with the Kane County Child Exploitation Unit executed a search warrant at a home on Bittersweet Road in St. Charles Township, according to information presented in court by Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Rodgers.
Phillip E. Obenauf, 33, of St. Charles Township, was present at the home, where investigators seized several of his electronic devices, officials said. Investigators examined the devices and determined that Obenauf had sent a video containing child sex abuse material to another user via Instagram, according to officials.
The Kane County Child Exploitation Unit is an initiative of the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and Kane County Sheriff’s Office. It started in 2022 and is meant to keep children in the state safe from sexual exploitation, according to past reporting.
Obenauf was ultimately charged with and pleaded guilty to a Class X felony child pornography charge, the news release said. He agreed to a nine-year sentence in state prison, and must also register for life as a sexual offender.
