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Marine recruiter pleads not guilty to child porn possession in Lake County

A Marine Corps recruiter assigned to the Lake County area pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to child pornography charges.

James R. Wallace, 35, an active-duty staff sergeant, is charged with eight counts of felony child pornography possession, according to the Lake County state's attorney's office. He lives in Rolling Meadows and works out of an office at the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, authorities said.

Initially, Wallace was charged with four counts of child porn possession in August. According to a release by the Lake County state's attorney's office, four counts were added after more evidence was uncovered, including videos and still images of minors.

A judge set his bail at $500,000, and Wallace was released after posting $50,000.

The investigation leading to Wallace's arrest began earlier this year, when members of the Cyber Crimes Division of the Lake County state's attorney's office received a tip that someone had a digital drop box containing illegal images.

The state's attorney's office worked with local Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigators to identify Wallace as a suspect, authorities said.

After obtaining a search warrant, state's attorney investigator Wendy Dumont discovered child pornography on his cellular device, prosecutors said.

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