U.S. Department of Justice announces results of nationwide “Operation Restore Justice” child exploitation crackdown, three charged in Central Illinois

On this past Wednesday, May 7, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of children and the arrest of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country. 

Attorney General Pamela Bondi noted that:

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us. I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

FBI Director Kash Patel also commented on the operation.

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us. Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Protecting our children from those who seek to exploit them and inflict harm is a top priority for our office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory M. Gilmore. “We are grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners whose dedicated work has made our community that much safer.”

FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson stated that:

“There will be zero tolerance for those who commit crimes against our children. There will never be a lead we do not follow or door we do not knock on. We will not stand by – we will stand together. This operation shows that with every partner at the table, from law enforcement to community advocates, we are united in one mission, to protect our children.”

The cases charged in the Central District of Illinois include the following:

Mark Peterson, 41, of Pekin, Illinois, was charged by federal criminal complaint on April 25, 2025, with attempted enticement of a minor. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Peterson on May 6, 2025.

According to the complaint affidavit, Peterson communicated via an internet-based social media platform with an individual whom he believed had access to a ten-year-old female, expressing multiple times that he wanted to engage in sexual activity with the child. Per the affidavit, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, Peterson drove to a location in Peoria to meet the child for the purpose of having sexual relations. Federal law enforcement agents arrested him upon his arrival.

If convicted of attempted enticement of a minor, Peterson faces a minimum sentence of ten years to life imprisonment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered Peterson detained on April 29, 2025, and he remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz is representing the government in the prosecution.

Dalton Trader, 27, of Williamsville, Illinois, was charged by federal criminal complaint on April 29, 2025, with possession of child pornography.

According to the complaint affidavit, law enforcement agents discovered multiple child pornography videos, including a video of a prepubescent minor, on Trader’s computer pursuant to a search warrant.

If convicted of possession of child pornography, Trader faces a sentence of up to twenty years of imprisonment.

Trader is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending a detention hearing that is set for May 8, 2025.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, with assistance from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Williamsville Police Department, Illinois State Police, Springfield Police Department, the Illinois Secretary of State Police, and Sherman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution.

James Yeager, 51, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged by federal criminal complaint on April 29, 2025, with possession of child pornography.

According to the complaint affidavit, law enforcement agents discovered multiple child pornography images, including photographs of prepubescent minors, on a micro-SD drive at Yeager’s residence, following the execution of a search warrant.

U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless ordered Yeager detained on May 6, 2025, and he remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Decatur Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution.

If convicted of possession of child pornography, Yeager faces a minimum sentence of ten years and maximum sentence of twenty years of imprisonment.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.