A Lake County man is facing charges after prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a young girl while giving her gifts and also instructed other sexual predators online how to do the same.
Oscar Gomez, 31, of Zion, was charged with involuntary sexual servitude of a child, two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Walker said an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigation was conducted following cyber tips received linked to Gomez’s accounts on a messaging app.
Search warrants showed that videos and images were being disseminated and received by Gomez through the app, Walker said.
Walker said Gomez discussed with others on the app how to solicit younger children for sex acts in exchange for gift cards.
A search warrant was executed at Gomez’s residence and the investigation revealed a juvenile sexual abuse victim.
The child was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center last week.
She disclosed that Gomez would pay her with gift cards to engage in sex acts with him, Walker said.
The victim said the abuse first occurred 5-6 years ago at Gomez’s residence in Park City when she was around 12 years old.
Gomez later moved to Zion and the child and her family would visit on the weekends.
The abuse progressed at the home in Zion and Gomez offered the child money to perform sex acts, Walker said.
The victim reported that Gomez paid her in Nintendo and Roblox gift cards. Gomez video recorded the child performing a sex act on one occasion, Walker said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Gomez and he admitted to asking the victim to perform a sex act on him in exchange for money. He said it occurred six years ago when the child was 12.
Walker said Gomez made further admissions to detectives, including how he gave the child money and gift cards multiple times and how he video recorded the victim.
Gomez was arrested last week and later appeared for a detention hearing after the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial. Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition.
The judge said Gomez poses a danger to the victim and to other children in the community.
Gomez, who remains under investigation for the child pornography aspect of the case, remains held in the Lake County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 28 for a preliminary hearing.