Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has charged an East Dubuque man with possessing child sexual abuse material and failing to register as a sex offender, his office announced Tuesday.
Shad Fiferlick, 58, of East Dubuque, was charged in Jo Daviess County Circuit Court with eight counts of possession of child pornography, Class 1 felonies each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and one count of failure to register as a sex offender, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The attorney general's office said sentences are ultimately determined by the court.
Fiferlick is detained at the Jo Daviess County Jail. His next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12.
According to Raoul's office, the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Illinois State Police and Raoul's digital forensic examiners, searched Fiferlick's home on Maple Court in East Dubuque in August. Following the investigation and the discovery of child sexual abuse material, Raoul's office said it indicted Fiferlick at the Statewide Grand Jury on Oct. 9. The sheriff's office then arrested him.
"These charges represent just how life altering child exploitation truly is," Raoul said. "My office's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to prioritize our efforts to hold predators accountable for the life-long scars they force survivors and their families to live with."
Raoul's office is prosecuting the case with Jo Daviess County State's Attorney Chris Allendorf.
"The technological complexity and seriousness of the alleged crimes in this case require bringing all possible resources to bear," Allendorf said, adding that he requested assistance from the attorney general's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. "This type of case is a great example of bringing resources together to advance the shared goal of protecting our communities, especially children."
About the task force
Raoul's office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. The task force receives CyberTips, or online reports of child sexual abuse material, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The office said reports to the task force increased 45% in 2025 over 2024.
The office said the Illinois task force is one of 61 nationwide and includes more than 200 local, county, state and federal agencies. Since 2019, it has received more than 82,900 CyberTips and been involved in more than 1,150 arrests, the office said, and in 2025 it helped rescue more than 30 child victims from ongoing abuse.
How to report
Raoul's office said child sexual exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.com and child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov. Local child advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
All are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.