Antioch man denies child porn charge

An Antioch Township man accused of having child pornography on his computer pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Joshua Johnson, 25, faces a sentence ranging from probation to five years in prison if convicted of possession of child pornography.

Assistant State's Attorney Mary Stanton said Johnson was on probation for a misdemeanor battery conviction, and was required to submit his computer for inspection when requested.

A probation officer took Johnson's computer and a thumb drive from his home in the 38000 block of North Drexel Boulevard for an inspection April 4, Stanton said.

The probation officer called the state's attorney's office after finding suspected child pornography on the computer, Stanton said, and a forensic search turned up several images.

Stanton said Johnson admitted he had been downloading child pornography from the Internet for the past three years.

Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak scheduled a trial of the case for July 16 and ordered Johnson, who is held on $500,000 bond, to appear in court June 22.