An Illinois State Police trooper, who is also a youth hockey referee, was arrested this week on federal child pornography charges.

Colin Gruenke, of Deerfield, is charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, according to federal court records.

According to the charges, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children first learned in September 2024 that someone on the social media platform Kik had used two accounts to upload images of child pornography.

An investigation linked the user's email address to Gruenke, and after obtaining multiple search warrants, federal agents confronted him at Illinois State Police headquarters in Des Plaines.

At the time, Gruenke was holding an iPhone in his hand, and agents seized it and found evidence of deleted images of child pornography, with some of the children appearing to be as young as 4 years old. Agents also executed a search warrant at his home, where they found a flash drive containing approximately 200 videos of child pornography, including numerous videos showing children being sexually abused by adults, including children as young as 10.

Gruenke was arrested on Wednesday, and made his first court appearance the same day, and was ordered to remain in custody pending a detention hearing on Monday.

As part of their investigation, federal authorities learned Gruenke plays in an adult hockey league in Northbrook, where he is also a youth hockey referee.

Illinois State Police said Gruenke has been placed on administrative leave without pay while they conduct an internal investigation.

The Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois said, after learning of the charges against Gruenke, it has notified its organizations and encouraged anyone with information to contact law enforcement. The group said Gruenke has not refereed a game for them since November 2021, and has not registered as a referee since the 2021-22 season.