A father, who is a registered sex offender from a conviction over 15 years ago, was charged with being in a school zone after he picked up his child from Antioch Upper Grade School last week, police said.
Michael W. Rost, 41, of the 1300 block of Walker Drive in Antioch, was charged with child sex offender present within a school zone, a Class 4 felony. If convicted, Rost could face up to 1-3 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
The Antioch Police Department and District 34 School Administration began investigating after receiving complaints that a registered sex offender was seen on the grounds of Antioch Upper Grade School, 800 Highview Drive, on September 5.
Police identified the subject as Rost and said he was picking up his child from the school. An arrest warrant was issued and Rost turned himself in to the Lake County Jail on Thursday, police said.
“The Illinois Sexual Offender Act prohibits the presence of child sex offenders on school property unless it is strictly for the purposes of very specific and certain school related functions, such as student-teacher conferences, with prior approval and authorization from school authorities,” the Antioch Police Department said.
Rost registered as a sex offender in 2003 after pleading guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Kendall County. Rost was 22 years old and the victim was 16 years old, court records show.
The 41-year-old man was previously arrested at Tim Osmond Sports Complex in Antioch and charged with violating the sex offender registration act on September 22, 2018, police records show.
Rost was released from the Lake County Jail after posting bail on his most recent charge. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 17.