A former Illinois state representative charged with possession of child pornography was released Wednesday on $4,500 bond but ordered confined to his home pending a trial.
Former Illinois State Rep. Keith Farnham, 66, was charged Monday after two child pornography videos were found on a computer seized from his Elgin office in March, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
A federal judge on Wednesday banned him from using computers or having unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.
Farnham resigned from his position on March 19 citing health issues, a day after winning the primary running unopposed.
After court, Farmham said he couldn't comment on the case but said he has serious health issues. He also thanked the people who put him in office.
"I love the people who sent me to Springfield," he said. "They’ve been very good to me."
Defense attorney Terry Ekl said he intends to sit down with his client and "decide what’s in his best interest."
"I think it’s fair to say he’s having a very, very difficult time," Ekl said.
According to the complaint, federal investigators searched Farnham's office on March 19 and confiscated several computers and electronic storage devices which they say contained child porn images, including a computer labeled "Property of the State of Illinois House of Representatives."
The HSI Cyber Crimes Center linked to Farnham a Yahoo! email address that was being used to trade child pornography, according to the complaint, and reviewed instant chat messages between June 2013 and January 2014.
Investigators say the account linked to Farnham showed "an extensive online relationship with dozens of individuals in which hundreds of images and videos of suspected child pornography were sent from and received."
Possession of child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine in Illinois.
