Social media users were outraged after viral videos online captured an encounter with Zion police and a man who reportedly showed officers child sexual abuse material on his phone but was let go.
EDP Watch, which is a YouTube and Instagram channel featuring videos of child predators being caught, posted a video of an encounter from Sunday with a man and officers with the Zion Police Department.
The creator of the account, Jidon Armani Adams, also known as JiDion, said the man in question was a Mormon church member who was caught trying to meet up with children, as young as four years old, in the area of 21st Street and Sheridan Road in Zion.
The police were called and the suspect showed one of the officers a “horrible” video of a 5-year-old girl being sexually abused, JiDion said.
JiDion said the suspect claimed he was thinking of harming himself so he was transported to the hospital for an evaluation.
JiDion said he later found the suspect still active on Facebook despite police telling him that the suspect would be arrested and charged that day.
JiDion said he called the Zion Police Department for two days to get answers.
He said that the police department told him they have the suspect’s phone and the report and “what else do you want us to do?”
“I don’t know, arrest him?!” JiDion said in response. “This dude does not deserve to be out among the streets, especially when kids are outside playing.”
JiDion, whose YouTube channel has over 8 million subscribers and his Instagram account has nearly 500,000 followers, told his viewers to call the Zion Police Department to get justice.
Videos related to the incident have garnered millions of views on social media in recent days.
“i dont understand why cant they just arrest him its not that hard right,” one user commented. “Maybe call the feds, let them know about the phone and how they aren’t arresting him and maybe they’ll come in and show Zion how to do their job,” another user said.
“Cop needs to be investigated,” a third user said. “They always let them go,” someone else said in the comments.
Zion Chief of Police Eric Barden said in a statement that his department is “aware of recent social media activity related to an ongoing investigation.”
Barden said the incident had been under active investigation prior to any online posts.
“Consistent with Department policy, we do not comment on ongoing investigations,” Barden said in the brief, vague statement issued Tuesday.
The chief said anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Zion Police Department’s non-emergency line at (847) 872-8000.