URBANA, Ill. – A Decatur, Ill., area man, Gary L. Boyle, 34, made his initial appearance in federal court today on child sexual exploitation and child pornography charges. During his appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, in Urbana, Boyle waived his detention hearing and was ordered to remain in law enforcement custody. A preliminary trial date for the federal charges has been scheduled on May 7.

The indictment charges Boyle, of the 5400 block of West Main St., with seven counts of child sexual exploitation on Feb. 4, 2019, and one count of possession of child pornography on Feb. 21, 2019.

If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty for each count of child sexual exploitation is 30 years in prison; for possession of child pornography, the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.

Boyle was arrested on Feb. 21, and charged by the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office with multiple counts of sexual assault and abuse charges.   

The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The charges are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Decatur Police Department, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.