GIRARD – Illinois State Police special agents recently arrested a man from Girard, Ill. on felony charges of possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material.
James M. Barnard, 48, of the 200 block of N. Harrison St. in Girard, Ill., was charged on April 2, 2026, with possession of child sexual abuse material depicting a child under the age of 13 and dissemination of child sexual abuse material, both Class X felonies.
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The investigation began after special agents with the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 6 received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the ISP. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois Attorney General’s Office assisted the ISP in identifying Barnard as the suspect.
ISP special agents executed a search warrant at Barnard’s home on April 1, 2026, where he was taken into custody. He is currently being held in the Macoupin County Jail as the investigation remains ongoing, according to the ISP.
Anonymous tips regarding child sexual abuse material can be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cybertip line at www.cybertipline.com.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
