East Central Reporter

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has led to scrutiny over the handling of a child pornography case in Shelby County. The FOIA request, which included media inquiries directed at the Shelby County State’s Attorney, resulted in what was perceived as an improper denial of records. This denial is currently under review by the Attorney General's Public Access Counselor (PAC) office due to alleged violations.

The inquiry centered on Carlos Oberg's sentencing, with questions about why he received only a five-year sentence for 33 sex crimes involving a minor. The response from the State’s Attorney was: “As to your media questions: I do not have to provide you with a rationale for the negotiated plea agreement.”

The discussion took another turn when past cases handled by former State’s Attorney Mr. Hanlon were brought into focus. These included dismissals and plea deals in cases involving Mark Michael and Tyler Davis, among others. Woolery pointed out that "Mr. Hanlon, prior to tendering his resignation, felt it was appropriate to dismiss in its entirety the case against Mark Michael, which included 48 counts of child pornography."

Inquiries were made regarding whether current State’s Attorney Mrs. Woolery would pursue charges against Mark Michael or revisit other dismissed cases. As of now, no charges have been re-filed.

Criticism arose over Woolery's approach and public statements about previous decisions made by her predecessor without conducting thorough investigations into each case's specifics. Former State’s Attorney expressed concern over this approach stating: “A professional looks at the matter before them and acts based on that matter.”

Despite these ongoing discussions and criticisms, no new charges have been filed against Mark Michael or in related cases mentioned by Woolery.