Hoffman Estates man charged with possession, dissemination of child pornography

A 26-year-old Hoffman Estates man who authorities say possessed tens of thousands of images of child pornography was ordered detained following a hearing Friday at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

Arturo Balvino is charged with possession and dissemination of child pornography depicting children younger than 13 between June 4 and Nov. 11, 2025. If convicted of the most serious charge, he faces from six to 30 years in prison.

A cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Cook County ICAC reporting online child exploitation prompted a two-month investigation by the Hoffman Estates police department and the Cook County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The investigation, which began in September, led to Balvino’s arrest on Thursday.

Police executed a search warrant at Balvino’s home in the 1800 block of Sessions Walk on Oct. 29, after linking him to a social media messaging application that allows file sharing.

Prosecutors say the cellphone in his possession, as well as three additional cellphones, three tablets and a removable storage device known as an SD card found in a storage container under his bed, contained more than 37,000 images and 2,500 videos depicting child pornography.

Cook County Judge Andreana Turano cited the “huge volume” of images when she ordered Balvino into custody, stating the images “re-victimized young children and fueled the demand for more pornography, resulting in a safety risk for all children.”

Balvino next appears in court on Dec. 8. Police ask anyone with additional information to call (847) 781-2800.