Schaumburg man charged with child pornography

A Schaumburg man who prosecutors say had a computer containing 190 images and 77 videos depicting children engaged in sexual acts has been charged with possession and dissemination of child pornography.

Clark Pollard, 49, was ordered held on $50,000 bail Thursday. Cook County Judge Marc Martin forbade the former Marine helicopter pilot from accessing the internet for personal use and ordered him to have no contact with anyone younger than 18. Martin made an exception for critically ill or injured patients for whom Pollard - an emergency medical services pilot - provides air medical transport throughout Northern Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Schaumburg police began investigating Pollard in September 2016 after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about pornographic images uploaded to an online chat site, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Gates said, and police matched the internet provider address to Pollard.

Schaumburg police received a report on Jan. 3, 2017, about an investigation involving Pollard conducted by an undercover officer from Canada, according to Gates, and the undercover officer engaged Pollard in an online conversation after which Pollard sent the officer videos depicting sex acts between adult men and children.

Schaumburg police executed a search warrant of Pollard's home on Nov. 2, 2017, and recovered a computer with the pornographic images, Gates said.

Police arrested Pollard Wednesday. He next appears in court on Aug. 17.