Benjamin Morris was arrested Monday night on 30 charges related to possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse material.
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The former interim executive director at Quad City Arts, charged with possessing and disseminating child sexual abuse material, had his first court appearance on Wednesday.
33-year-old Benjamin Morris was arrested around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, July 27, and booked into the Rock Island County Jail. He has been charged with 15 counts of child pornography/possession of child sexual abuse materials/under 13 years (class 2 felony) and 15 counts of child pornography/dissemination of child sexual abuse materials/under 13 years (class X felony).
Wednesday’s hearing only lasted a few minutes. Morris appeared via video. He has hired his own attorney who is requesting more time to review the charges, citing a delay in filing. Morris and his team will be back in court on Thursday at 1 p.m.
The judge said that 15 of the 30 charges are class X felonies. If Morris is convicted on those charges, he could face a combined prison sentence of 90-450 years.
Case background
In the afternoon of June 26, RIPD officers were dispatched to the Quad City Arts building on 2nd Avenue after receiving a report of a possible sex offense. Officers met with the complainants, who identified themselves as representatives with Predator Poachers Illinois, a group that conducts online stings targeting suspected child predators. According to RIPD, the complainants alleged they had used a decoy posing as a minor to communicate with Morris, further alleging that Morris admitted to having child pornography.
READ MORE: How online predator hunters pointed police to a former Quad City Arts leader
Police said Morris was detained and questioned at the scene but was released shortly after the interaction. Police did seize his phone and wallet at the time. Search warrants were obtained, leading to Morris’ arrest on Monday.
Predator Poachers Illinois posted a video in late June that appeared to show Morris being placed into a Rock Island police car outside the Quad City Arts facility in downtown Rock Island.
Earlier this month, Quad City Arts announced it had accepted the resignation of its interim executive director, saying, “at this time, there is no indication that any Quad City Arts programs, participants, students, apprentices, or community members were involved in or affected by the alleged conduct.”
The organization confirmed to News 8 that Morris served as interim executive director from April to June 2026. He previously served as the organization’s operations director.
RIPD’s Criminal Investigations Division is still working to identify potential victims in the case. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact RIPD at 309-732-2677, Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500 or by using the P3 Tips app.
