Authorities say a Crystal Lake man was arrested after investigators found he was trying to lure and seduce a child by sending explicit sexual messages while telling her he loved her.
A resident, along with her juvenile child, went to the Crystal Lake Police Department on the evening of February 5, according to Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann.
The woman made a report that a subject, later identified as Clicerio Alvarez-Mascote, 58, of Crystal Lake, was sending the girl inappropriate messages.
The messages were sent through an instant messaging app and some of the messages were sexual in nature, Neumann said.
Crystal Lake Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit began investigating the next morning and obtained felony charges after reviewing the case with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Alvarez-Mascote was charged with one count of grooming, a Class 4 felony.
He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Alvarez-Mascote used his cell phone to engage in a pattern of conduct that “seduces, lures, and/or entices” the female child, who he knew to be under the age of 13, for the purpose of sexual gratification.
Court documents said Alvarez-Mascote lived in the same residence as the victim for a significant amount of time but was not related to her.
Alvarez-Mascote allegedly communicated with the girl for over a year without her mother’s knowledge, including by text message and social media.
The man’s communications with the girl included explicit sexual language about what he wanted her to do and what he wanted to do to her, court documents said.
Alvarez-Mascote allegedly instructed the child not to tell anyone about his communication and said he loved her.
Court documents said Alvarez-Mascote seduced and enticed her through cash and gifts, including a new cellphone and computer, and depictions of clothing and underwear he purchased for her.
Alvarez-Mascote invited the child to his bedroom and told her he would pass by her bedroom to smell her perfume, court documents said.
The state’s attorney’s office filed a petition to detain Alvarez-Mascote pending trial, arguing he poses a danger to the victim and others.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the petition following an Initial Appearance Court hearing.
“Such conduct was a form of stalking the child within her own home. Defendant’s conduct and frequent messages were intended to solicit, seduce, lure, and entice the child to engage in a romantic and sexual relationship with him for his own sexual gratification,” Lamb said.
Alvarez-Mascote was interviewed by police and voluntarily admitted that he knew what he was doing was wrong but could not stop himself, court documents said.
“For more than a year, Defendant’s own sexual desires toward a minor child overcame his rational thoughts. This clearly and convincingly demonstrates Defendant’s inability to manage his feelings and control his own behavior, instead acting impulsively without regard for any negative consequences or risk of harm to the child,” Lamb said.
Alvarez-Mascote is additionally accused of posting a photo of the child on his own social media profile.
Alvarez-Mascote is scheduled to appear in court again on March 3 for a preliminary hearing.
The Crystal Lake Police Department is continuing to actively investigate the incident, Neumann said.
Anyone who has information relating to the case is asked to contact the Crystal Lake Police Department at 815-356-3620.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to the Crystal Lake Police Department by texting the word CLPDTIP along with the tip information to 847411.