ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ARRESTS GIRARD MAN AFTER CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIALS INVESTIGATION
April 7, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2026
CARLINVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 Special Agents arrested 48-year-old James Barnard of Girard, IL for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials- Child Under Age 13 (Class X Felony) and Dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (Class X Felony).
ISP Special Agents received a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children and initiated a child sexual abuse materials investigation. ISP, with assistance from the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, identified Barnard as the suspect.
On April 1, 2026, ISP Special Agents executed a search warrant at Barnard’s residence in the 200 block of North Harrison Street. Officers took Barnard into custody on scene. On April 2, 2026, ISP presented the case to the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s Office and the above mentioned charges were filed. Barnard is being held at the Macoupin County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.
The Illinois State Police 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) Cybertip line 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/
The charges are 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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