Man faces child porn charge after taking computer in for repair

A 66-year-old Highland Park man was charged with five counts of child pornography regarding images found on a computer he had dropped off for service, according to Vernon Hills police.

Police said an official at Tiger Direct, 551 N. Milwaukee Ave., called authorities on Feb. 14 regarding a computer that had been left at the store by Villamor N. Rayos of the 1600 block of Southland Avenue in Highland Park. A store employee found several video images of what appeared to be child pornography, police said.

Police seized the computer and the store's external hard drive. A Vernon Hills police officer, who is a member of the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Exploitation Task Force, confirmed the presence of child pornography. Numerous videos were found, police said.

Investigators said they spoke with Rayos at his home and on Feb. 19 interviewed him at the Vernon Hills police station. He was charged with five counts of child pornography, a Class 3 felony.

"We are extremely pleased that the store officials called us when they discovered the images," Vernon Hills Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer said in a statement. "Their call was essential in helping us make an arrest for this very serious crime."

There is no indication any of the images involve Vernon Hills' youths, police said.

Rayos was being held Friday in Lake County jail on $100,000 bail and would need to post $10,000 to be released. A court date was scheduled for March 6.