TUSCOLA, Illinois — A former central Illinois police officer will stand trial on nine felony child-pornography counts after a Douglas County judge ruled on Wednesday, October 28, that prosecutors have probable cause to take the case forward. Shaun D. Meredith, 45, pleaded not guilty through his lawyer and asked for a trial by jury, WCIA reported from the preliminary hearing in Tuscola.
Judge Kate Watson heard sworn testimony and arguments at the preliminary hearing and found probable cause that Meredith committed the crimes he is accused of, according to court records cited by WCIA. In practical terms, the ruling means the case now moves from the charging stage toward trial, where prosecutors must prove every count beyond a reasonable doubt. Meredith's not-guilty plea means none of the allegations has been proven, and he is presumed innocent unless a jury convicts him.
The nine counts, and the dates prosecutors allege
Meredith was arrested earlier in October and charged with nine felony counts: six counts alleging possession of child sexual abuse material, and three counts alleging reception of an obscene depiction of a purported child, WCIA reported. Court documents cited by the station say the alleged offences happened between December 11, 2025, and January 23, 2026. Court documents also note the material could have been depicted or portrayed by a computer or a similar visual medium, and a source close to the case told The County Chronicle that some of the material may have been generated with artificial intelligence using an image of a real minor. That claim is part of the allegation file, not a proven fact, and the same source said there is no indication the minor in the images is local.
Four of the nine charges are Class X felonies, The County Chronicle reported, a class that carries 6 to 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000 on each such count if a defendant is convicted. Those penalties are what the law allows on paper; no sentence exists in this case, because there has been no conviction.
A policing career across three departments
Meredith worked for three Illinois police departments over roughly two decades. The County Chronicle reported he was an officer with the Arthur Police Department from January 2018 to April 2023, then with the Maroa Police Department from April 2025 to February 2026, and before Arthur he served with the Bloomington Police Department from July 2005 to June 2015. Jail records cited by the Chronicle show an Arthur address for Meredith. A spokesperson for the City of Bloomington told WCIA that, given his employment with the city ended more than a decade ago, the city had no comment on the case.
Because Meredith once worked as a patrolman in Douglas County, the county's own prosecutor is not handling the case. The County Chronicle reported the prosecution was brought by special prosecutor Kate Kurtz of Springfield after State's Attorney Robert Kosic's office said Kosic had a conflict of interest. Meredith appeared with public defender Kevin Nolan, the Chronicle reported.
Why he remains in jail before trial
Meredith has been in custody since his arrest because the court denied him pretrial release. After an earlier pretrial hearing, the court found he posed, in the order's words reported by The County Chronicle, a “real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons or the community.” The detention order, as reported by WCIA, reasoned that the alleged offence is digital in nature, which the court said makes standard safeguards such as stay-away orders, internet restrictions or electronic monitoring hard to enforce against reoffending. He remained in custody after Wednesday's hearing.
Cases like this one are handled under strict reporting limits for a reason: authorities have not publicly identified any victim, and no victim is named in this report. The only person named is the accused adult, and every charge against him is an allegation at this stage.
Court records cited by WCIA put Meredith's next pretrial hearing on November 2, and the case could go on trial as early as November 9. Prosecutors must prove the nine counts beyond a reasonable doubt; if they cannot, he must be acquitted. Awaaz Punjab will follow the November hearings.
Sources: WCIA (Oct. 28 and Oct. 8, 2026) and The County Chronicle (Oct. 13, 2026), reporting court records, the detention order and statements from the City of Bloomington.