An Algonquin man has been charged after he tried to meet up with who he thought was a 14-year-old boy for sex; the boy was actually a Lake County Sheriff detective.
Thomas C. Casey, 23, of the 1900 block of Cloverdale Lane in Algonquin, was charged with two counts of indecent solicitation of a child, one being a class 3 felony and the other a class 4 felony, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.
Lake County Sheriff Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that Casey communicated with who he believed was a 14-year-old boy on social media. The 14-year-old boy was actually a detective with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cybercrimes Unit.
“Casey asked to meet with the 14-year-old boy to engage in a sexual act and smoke cannabis,” Covelli said.
Casey drove to a location near Gurnee on October 4 to meet with the boy. He was instead met by police.
“Our Cybercrime Unit works to protect society’s most vulnerable, our children. Cases like this serve as an important reminder to parents of the need to always monitor what your children are doing online and who they are speaking with,” Sheriff Mark Curran said.
Casey is being held at the Lake County Jail on a $75,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on October 25.