Island Lake man accused of viewing thousands of videos of child sex abuse is detained pretrial

An Island Lake man accused of possessing thousands of videos of child sex abuse agreed with a detective that his “compulsion” for watching such material is “like an addiction to smoking cigarettes,” a McHenry County judge said when recently ruling to jail the defendant.

Lawrence M. Root, 51, is charged with eight counts of reproducing images of child sex abuse, Class X felonies, as well several counts of as possessing images of child sex abuse, all involving children under the age of 13, according to an indictment handed down in McHenry County court. If convicted on the Class X felonies, he could face decades in prison.

Root appeared in court in June for a detention hearing, at which Judge Michael Zasadil agreed with prosecutors that Root is a threat to the community and should be detained pretrial. The judge said there were no conditions that could keep Root from committing similar offenses.

Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said that even if Root is not creating the images depicting child sexual abuse, he is a “willing and enthusiastic audience” in “watching and consuming it.” The prosecutor also said watching such materials is the same as “partaking in the actual acts.”

Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger responded by calling that “a complete overstatement and ridiculous.”

The images Root is accused of possessing and watching include “sadistic, masochistic or sadomasochistic“ videos of toddlers and children being sexually assaulted by adults, some tied up, gagged and crying, according to authorities and the complaint.

Miller referred to a statement made by a seasoned detective whose job is to investigate those consuming such materials. The detective said that what Root had were “among the worst [he has] ever seen.”

Giesinger said there are conditions that could keep Root from committing the offenses, but Zasadil referred to a court document that stated that when a detective asked Root if watching such materials was a “compulsion,” like “an addiction for smoking cigarettes,” he agreed. In granting the prosecutor’s detention petition, the judge said he wondered if he could “craft a set of conditions to prevent” Root from continuing the alleged offenses.