BELLEVILLE — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged a 26-year-old Belleville man in St. Clair County Circuit Court with possessing child sexual abuse material after investigators searched his home Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Belleville as part of Raoul’s ongoing work with federal, state and local law enforcement to identify people accused of downloading and trading such material online.
Merrick T. Ellis was charged with six counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, each a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Sentences are ultimately determined by the court.
Ellis is detained at the St. Clair County Jail pending further proceedings. His next court date is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Belleville Police Department, conducted a search Wednesday of Ellis’ home in the first block of North 45th Street in Belleville. Ellis was arrested after evidence of child sexual abuse material was found, according to the Attorney General’s office.
“Survivors and their families can face a lifetime of trauma caused by child exploitation, and they deserve to see the individuals who trade and download these abhorrent images and videos held accountable,” Raoul said. “My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to find and stop individuals who exploit minors.”
Assistant Attorney General Sarah Holst Schryer is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
The public is reminded that Ellis is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
