Illinois State Police have arrested a Girard man following a child exploitation investigation.

Forty-eight-year-old James Barnard is facing multiple Class X felony charges, including possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials involving a child under the age of 13.

According to investigators, the case began after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Illinois State Police, working alongside the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, identified Barnard as a suspect.

Authorities executed a search warrant April 1st at a home in the 200 block of North Harrison Street in Girard, where Barnard was taken into custody.

Charges were formally filed the following day by the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s Office. Barnard is currently being held in the Macoupin County Jail.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Illinois State Police remind the public that suspected child exploitation can be reported anonymously through the CyberTipline at CyberTipline dot org.