Quincy man, out on pretrial release facing three felonies, finally put in jail on child porn, more drug charges

QUINCY — A Quincy man is in the Adams County Jail facing child pornography and drug charges after his arrest on Wednesday.

Quincy Police Department officers took a report in June 2024 from a person alleging they had received a nude image of a child from Bryant Melton, 27, over social media. Officers contacted Melton and recovered his cell phone. Quincy Police detectives viewed the contents of Melton’s cell phone in July 2024 and recovered other image files believed to be child pornography involving images of minors under 13 years of age.

Quincy Police detectives, assisted by QPD’s Special Investigative Unit and members of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force, executed a search warrant at approximately 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, in the 500 block of Monroe. Melton was located and arrested. He later was charged with two counts of possession of pornography of a child under the age of 13, one count of trafficking in a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance (heroin and fentanyl).

Possession of child pornography is a Class 2 felony, which has a sentencing range of three to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Trafficking of a controlled substance is a Class 1 felony, which has a sentencing range of four and 15 years in prison. Possession of a controlled substance is a Class 4 felony, which has a sentencing range of one to four years in prison.

A search of the residence revealed additional electronic items, along with multiple items containing a white powdery residue believed to be heroin and fentanyl. Melton was transported to the Quincy Police Department, where he was interviewed, and ultimately lodged in the Adams County Jail.

According to Adams County court records, Melton was indicted by an Adams County grand jury for delivery of heroin (1 to 15 grams) in April 2022. He was arrested on that indictment and released on $2,500 cash bond. While on bond for the heroin charge, Melton again was arrested in September 2023 for possession of methamphetamine and was released on a $750 cash bond. 

Melton again was arrested on June 18 on a new warrant for possession of a controlled substance, and he was again placed on pretrial release. Each case is still pending.

Melton was in Adams County Circuit Court on his new charges on Thursday afternoon and denied pretrial release. He will make his first appearance on July 22 before Judge Zachary Boren.