St. Charles man faces child porn charge

An undercover investigation led to the arrest of a 47-year-old St. Charles man on charges he possessed child pornography on his computer, police said Monday. Michael J. Barron, of the 3500 block of Antoine Place, turned himself over to police Friday to face one count of possession of child pornography, a Class 1 felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Authorities said Barron had been under investigation for three months by St. Charles police and the Illinois Attorney General's office after an offer for a child pornography download was made from his computer. On Feb. 11, police carried out a search of his home, seizing that computer and other equipment, authorities said in a news release.

Barron, who was released after posting $2,500 bond, is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 19 in front of Kane County Judge Thomas E. Mueller. He appears to have no prior criminal history in Kane County other than traffic offenses, according to court records.

A message left for Barron at his home Monday was not immediately returned. There was no attorney listed for him in court records.