Thread: Warrant shows search for child porn at Farnham’s office

Article updated: 3/21/2014 10:07 PM

Warrant shows search for child porn at Farnham’s office

Keith Farnham

By Mike Riopell

A warrant for the search of former state Rep. Keith Farnham’s Elgin legislative office shows authorities were looking for evidence of the possession of child pornography.

The warrant, released by the Illinois House in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Chicago Tribune, was executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations officials at the Democrat’s office last week.

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PDF FILE Farnham's resignation letter

PDF FILE Farnham search warrant

First in its list of items to be looked for are “documents in any format or medium pertaining to the possession, receipt, or distribution of child pornography.”

The warrant shows the intent to take computers, hard drives and other electronic devices that could have evidence of child pornography. It also says computers would be returned to the office after 30 days if nothing illegal is found on them.

Farnham resigned his House seat Wednesday saying he’s had “serious health issues” and has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

“This is to notify you that, effective immediately, I hereby resign my position as representative in the General Assembly for the 43rd Representative District of the state of Illinois,” his resignation letter said.

Farnham hasn’t returned requests for comment and hasn’t been available to answer questions at his home.

Representatives of the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago and ICE have confirmed Farnham’s home and office were searched but have otherwise declined to elaborate.

Farnham was unopposed in Tuesday’s primary election, but local Democrats have begun moving to fill his spot in Springfield and on the ballot. No Republican has yet filed to run in the district.

Farnham began his work in the Illinois House after a hotly contested campaign in 2008 against Republican Ruth Munson. He won re-election in 2010 and 2012.

Despite his claim of health issues, Farnham had perfect attendance in Springfield so far in 2014, making it to lawmakers’ first 12 meetings before resigning this week.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2...ews/140329512/

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http://www.alipac.us/f9/il-democrati...ecuted-299508/

The tip off that it was about child porn was that ICE took the computers. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

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http://www.alipac.us/f9/rhode-island...-probe-299617/

Ex-Illinois lawmaker charged with child porn possession, in graphic federal complaint

Published April 29, 2014FoxNews.com

Shown here is former Illinois state Rep. Keith Farnham.ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY/REUTERS

An Illinois state lawmaker who resigned his House seat in March was charged Monday with possession of child pornography, in a federal complaint that detailed graphic online chats.

Former Rep. Keith Farnham, a 66-year-old Democrat, was accused of having two child porn videos on a computer seized from his state office.

The complaint described alleged online chats between an email address linked to Farnham and others in which they discussed their child porn preferences.

"12 is about as old as i can handle. i love them at 6 7 8," read one message, allegedly from the address associated with Farnham, in a chat from November.

The same user, in a chat later that month, also allegedly recalled sexually molesting a 6-year-old girl.

The complaint contains graphic details about pornographic images and videos allegedly traded and sought by Farnham; some of the images were of children under 10 years old and at least one is an infant, the filing said.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Farnham twice co-sponsored bills that would toughen penalties for child porn offenses.

The lawmaker has not been arrested but is scheduled to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Wednesday. Farnham has not responded to requests for comment.

Several computers and electronic storage devices with child pornography were discovered in searches on March 13 at Farham's office and home in Elgin, just west of Chicago.

Farnham, who was first elected in 2008, resigned his seat on March 19 -- days after the search warrants were executed. He said at the time that he had to attend to "battling serious health issues."

Suspicion fell on Farnham after authorities linked an email used to trade child pornography online to the then-legislator, the complaint said.

A conviction on a single count of possession of child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014...aphic-federal/

Yet another liberal Democrat busted for child porn. So what's new?

It's a good thing for these evil, disgusting perverts that I'm not the one in charge of their punishment.