Former college professor sentenced to 6 years in prison for possessing, distributing child pornography

CHICAGO - A former local college professor was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday for possessing and distributing child pornography via computer. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Kevin Fuller, 41, of Oak Park, was sentenced Feb. 9 by U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo, Northern District of Illinois, to 72 months in prison. He was further ordered to register as a sex offender and will serve a lifetime of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

Fuller, a former professor at Columbia College, was arrested by ICE HSI agents in November 2009. He pleaded guilty to the charges in August. During the sentencing, Judge Castillo referred to the graphic images as "crime scene photos" that depicted children.

"Anyone who distributes or possesses child pornography victimizes the most vulnerable members of our society," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of the ICE HSI in Chicago. "Some of these images were particularly disturbing and heinous. ICE relentlessly pursues predators that sexually abuse and exploit children by possessing child pornography."

Assistant U.S. Attorney April Perry, Northern District of Illinois, prosecuted this case.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.