Roselle man pleads guilty to child porn charges

A Roselle man accused of storing thousands of images of child pornography pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of possessing child porn.

Prosecutors said Robert Schmidt, 47, of the 500 block of East Granville, had eight hard drives containing more than 18,000 images and videos of children younger than 13 involved in sexual acts when he was arrested in March 2014.

Prosecutors said Schmidt was arrested following a three-day investigation by Wheaton police, who used file-sharing software to download files from Schmidt's computer.

Schmidt, who told Judge Robert Miller that he is in the process of being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, said he has suffered at least 12 concussions in his life from being “hit by a car and beat up.”

Schmidt faces between three and seven years in prison when he is sentenced on Aug. 2, but prosecutors can recommend less time as a result of his plea.