A veteran Illinois State Police trooper has been charged in federal court with distributing and possessing child pornography following a year-long investigation that began with reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Colin Gruenke, 38, of Deerfield, was charged Thursday with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.
The investigation began in September 2024, when the social media platform Kik reported to NCMEC that an account had uploaded multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material, according to the complaint. Records allegedly showed the accounts were linked to internet data assigned to Gruenke’s residence and email addresses containing his initials.
Investigators said Gruenke tried to hide his identity and location by using VPNs to distribute images and participate in online chats where he described an interest in child sexual abuse.
Earlier this week, federal agents executed search warrants on Gruenke while he was at Illinois State Police offices in Des Plaines. Investigators immediately found sexual abuse material on his phone, the complaint said. Another warrant was executed at his Deerfield apartment. Agents seized his iPhone and a flash drive, both of which allegedly contained deleted images and videos of child pornography.
The flash drive allegedly contained about 200 videos, including depictions of young children being victimized by adults.
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