Police: Child Porn Charges Stem from Secret Service Investigation

 An investigation into alleged counterfeiting led to child pornography charges against a local man, according to Romeoville Police.

, 42, 1803 Prairie Ridge Trail, Plainfield, turned himself in at the on Friday after a forensic investigation uncovered pornographic images on his computer, police said.

Assistant Chief Steve Lucchesi said the charges stem from an unrelated October 2010 incident in which Schwartz was part of an investigation into fraudulent money orders sent to a Romeoville home where he had been renting a room.

Last fall police received a call from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, who reported intercepting packages containing the fraudulent currency addressed to a home in the 200 block of Tuscany Lane, Lucchesi said.

Although police believed that the counterfeit money orders were tied to another person staying at the home, Lucchesi said, Schwartz agreed to turn over his computer as evidence.

Local police gave the computer to the U.S. Secret Service for inspection, leading to the discovery of numerous sexually explicit photos of minors, Lucchesi said.

“The Secret Service did a forensic check and found thousands of child pornography images on it,” he said.

Although police listed the Tuscany Lane home as Schwartz’s last known address, the man gave a Plainfield mailing address when he was booked after turning himself in Friday, Lucchesi said.

Will County State’s Attorney’s Office spokesman Chuck Pelkie said Schwartz is charged with three counts of possession of child pornography, which is a felony.

According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, Schwartz was released Saturday after posting $2,500 bond.