Illinois State Police Arrests Coal Valley Man for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2026
August 13, 2026
COAL VALLEY – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 2 Special Agents arrested 23-year-old Dalton E. Ballard of Coal Valley, IL for one count of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony).
On August 2, 2026, Coal Valley Police Department received a report which alleged a sexual crime had been committed against a juvenile victim. ISP was notified and an investigation was conducted which identified Ballard as the suspect. On August 13, 2026, ISP Special Agents interviewed Ballard and subsequently arrested him for Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault. Ballard was transported to the Rock Island County Jail pending a detention hearing.
The Coal Valley Police Department and the Rock Island County Children’s Advocacy Center assisted with the investigation.
ISP provides resources for parents, for the public to report crimes against children, and survivors to start their path towards healing and recovery. Anonymous tips of child sexual abuse materials can also be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) CyberTipLine at www.cybertipline.com. To keep kids safe online, learn more at: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/onlinesafe/; www.cybertipline.org; For resources for survivors of sexual abuse visit: https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources/
Dalton E. Ballard (M/23)
The charge is not evidence against the defendant, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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