A 35-year-old man from unincorporated Antioch, Illinois, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of producing child pornography. Stuart M. Lowrey was taken into custody by the Lake County Sheriff's Office following an investigation that began on March 25th.

Initial False Report

Lowrey initially reported to deputies that an unknown woman had given him a cell phone containing child pornography. He claimed the woman approached him in his neighborhood, provided the phone and passcode, and then left. He stated he discovered videos depicting a young child, identified as a relative, engaged in sexual acts upon unlocking the phone.

Investigation Reveals Fabrication

Sheriff’s deputies requested a detective to investigate further, and Lowrey’s story quickly began to change during interviews. He eventually admitted to fabricating the entire encounter. The investigation also revealed a contentious custody dispute between Lowrey and the child’s mother.

Creation of Explicit Content

Authorities discovered Lowrey had previously been granted custody of the child as a distant relative. He allegedly took photos of the child and her mother and used an online service to create sexually explicit videos using these images. Forensic analysis of Lowrey’s phone uncovered a significant number of videos depicting child pornography, including AI-generated content.

Arrest and Protective Custody

On April 1st, Lowrey was arrested and charged with five counts of producing child pornography. The child involved in the case was immediately taken into protective custody by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and interviewed by the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center.

Official Statement

Sheriff John D. Idleburg strongly condemned the case, stating, “The deliberate creation of videos sexually exploiting a child is deeply disturbing.” He commended the deputies and detectives for their swift work and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for their cooperation. Lowrey is currently being detained while awaiting trial.