A man has been ordered held on a $2 million bond for soliciting a 13-year-old child on social media and sexually abusing her in Waukegan, prosecutors said.
Luis F. Corea-Ruiz, 26, of Waukegan, was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, traveling to meet a minor and indecent solicitation of a child.
A grand jury last week returned an indictment charging him with four additional counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kelse Banks said in court that Corea-Ruiz sexually abused a 13-year-old girl when he was 25 years old.
Bank said the victim reported what happened to her mother, who reported it to the police.
The child told investigators she met Corea-Ruiz in the summer of 2022.
The girl told Corea-Ruiz she was 13 and Corea-Ruiz later found a social media account belonging to the child, Banks said.
He began messaging the girl and Corea-Ruiz again asked the girl how old she was, to which she again replied she was 13, Banks said.
Corea-Ruiz reportedly asked the child to be his girlfriend.
During one of the incidents, Corea-Ruiz kissed the child and tried touching her but she moved his hands away, Banks said.
Corea-Ruiz then tried getting the child to touch him but she kept refusing, Banks said.
Banks said Corea-Ruiz continued communicating with the child on social media.
During another incident, Corea-Ruiz allegedly went to the child’s home early in the morning one day when her parents were gone.
Corea-Ruiz touched the child inappropriately and began sexually assaulting her while she told him “No,” Banks said.
Detectives obtained additional evidence from their social media messages.
Corea-Ruiz was interviewed and said he had sex with the victim and also admitted to knowing her age.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak questioned why prosecutors did not charge Corea-Ruiz with more serious offenses after hearing probable cause in the case.
Potkonjak ordered Corea-Ruiz held on a $2 million bond after noting the man was a flight risk.
Corea-Ruiz remains held in the Lake County Jail and would need to post $200,000 cash to be released.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday for an arraignment hearing.