A well-known Abraham Lincoln impersonator who came to the Illinois College campus in February is behind bars tonight after being arrested for possession of child pornography and patronizing prostitution.
63 year old George A. Buss of Freeport was booked into the Stephenson County Jail late Friday morning, according to the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Rockford Register Star, Buss was taken into custody at his home in Freeport after a criminal investigation started in February. Buss was the featured Abraham Lincoln impersonator at the “Lincoln: The Great Communicator” inaugural performance at Illinois College on February 20th as a part of the Looking For Lincoln annual program.
Buss is a retired teacher from Freeport and has portrayed the 16th President in various programs around the country since 1986. According to the Freeport Journal Standard, his arrest came one day prior to a scheduled annual performance in Freeport for the anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
Another man was also arrested as a part of the incident, 22 year old Tyler Dotson of Leaf River is charged with two counts of child pornography disseminating video and prostitution. Both men are being held at the Stephenson County Jail without bond.