ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OBTAINS 22-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR MACOUPIN COUNTY MAN WHO POSSESSED CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Staunton, Illinois man was sentenced to 22 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online.
Stephen Hokhold, 36, was sentenced on Monday in Macoupin County Circuit Court after pleading guilty in June to five Class 2 felony counts of possession of child pornography of victims under the age of 13.
“Survivors can face a lifetime of trauma from child exploitation so it is my hope that this sentence will help facilitate healing for them and their families,” Raoul said. “I am proud of the work of my Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the collaboration with local law enforcement in holding this offender accountable.”
In April 2025, Raoul’s investigators, along with officers from the Macoupin County Sheriff’s office and Staunton Police Department, conducted a search of Hokhold’s residence in Staunton. He was taken into custody when investigators discovered evidence of child sexual abuse material.
Raoul’s office prosecuted this case with the assistance of Macoupin County State’s Attorney Jordan Garrison’s office.
“Today shows this type of horrific criminality will be met with swift and severe justice,” said Garrison. “I want to thank the Office of the Attorney General for their continued partnership and especially the work of Investigator Larry Rayburn.”
Raoul’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force that investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Over the last several years, CyberTipline reports have steadily increased. In 2025, reports to the ICAC Task Force increased by 45% over 2024.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 ICAC task forces throughout the country and is comprised of a network of more than 200 local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and has been involved in more than 1,150 arrests of sexual predators. In 2025, the task force was involved in rescuing more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse. The task force also has provided internet safety training and education to over 1 million parents, teachers, students and more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals.
Attorney General Raoul is reminding the public that child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. In addition, local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Deputy Bureau Chief Shantikumar Kulkarni prosecuted the case for Raoul’s High Tech Crimes Bureau.
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