Bellwood police commander from Lombard charged with possession of child porn

A Bellwood police commander has been charged with possession of child pornography, accused of viewing it through Internet Protocol addresses at work and at his home in Lombard.

DuPage County Judge Anthony Coco set bail at $150,000 Saturday morning for John Trevarthen, 45, of the 300 block of East 17th Place, Lombard, according to a news release from the DuPage County state's attorney's office. Court records indicate he was freed on bail Saturday afternoon.

Trevarthen is charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, they were videos of girls under the age of 13 performing sexual acts on an adult male, on a teenage boy and on themselves.

A Lombard detective received a tip in January from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding suspected child pornography videos and photographs that were uploaded on a smart phone file-sharing application with an email address that registered to a home in Lombard, according to the news release.

On Friday, police stopped Trevarthen in his car and seized his phone. They also searched his home and seized an iPad. The devices were examined by the DuPage County sheriff's Digital Forensic Unit.

According to the news release, Trevarthen used a personal IP address and an IP address owned by Bellwood to view child pornography on an app.

Bellwood police announced Saturday afternoon that Trevarthen has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.

“In no uncertain terms we do not tolerate or accept illegal behavior by any village employee. The police department remains committed to providing the highest level of service and protection to each resident and business in Bellwood,” a statement released by the department said.

Trevarthen's next court date is March 8.