AT&T worker prompts child porn charges against Lombard man

An AT&T employee stumbled across a Lombard man's child pornography collection, leading to his arrest prosecutors said Wednesday.

Mark E. Hebert, 52, was in the DuPage County jail on $200,000 bond, charged with aggravated child pornography possession.

Assistant State's Attorney Enza LaMonica said an AT&T technician, making a service call at Hebert's home, moved a computer mouse. Several images of young girls depicted in bondage situations appeared on the screen. The technician later informed a supervisor, who then contacted police, she said.

The report led to the execution of a search warrant Tuesday at the residence Hebert shares with his mother on the 1000 block of East Charing Cross Road.

Authorities recovered multiple child pornography images from CDs in Hebert's room and from a computer that he admitted was his, LaMonica said in court.

“Most of (the children depicted) are under the age of 4 years old,” she said.

Prosecutors said Hebert's background includes prior convictions for criminal sexual abuse and aggravated battery of an elderly person. In the latest case, he also is accused of possessing drug paraphernalia.

At a bond hearing Wednesday in front of DuPage Judge Liam Brennan, Hebert described himself as a former computer programmer who has had no income since at least 2009. He told the judge he probably would be unable to post the necessary $20,000 to bond out while his case is pending.

Brennan ordered Hebert to have no contact with children and refrain from using the Internet should he be released.