February 18, 2020- Kankakee, IL- The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Bradley Police Department and KAMEG agents, assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI – Springfield Division) and the Central District of IL U.S. Attorney’s Office in an operation over the weekend that resulted in 15 arrests. The 15 arrests, all of which were men, were charged in separate criminal complaints with attempted enticement of a child to engage in illegal sexual activity. Seven of the arrests also included the charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children. Each of the suspects was in an Urbana federal courtroom earlier today for their initial court arraignment hearings.

During the investigation, each of the suspects allegedly utilized social media applications to contact and engage online with FBI agents serving in an undercover capacity posing as 14 and 15-year-old minors to make arrangements to meet the minors with the intent to engage in sexual activity. Several of the arrested suspects attempted to entice or coerce the minors to send sexually explicit images. “I applaud IL U.S. Attorney John C. Milhiser and the FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox, as well as the staff in each of their respective offices, for their exhaustive efforts to remove these predators from our streets,” said Sheriff Mike Downey. “I sincerely thank each of the officers from the participating agencies involved in the joint-effort operation. Our ability to work together with federal and local agencies and sharing resources was incredible. The details relating to these charges are down-right sickening. We want to send a clear message that this type of conduct will not be tolerated and that sexual predators that target children will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest.”

If convicted, each defendant listed below facing the charges of attempted enticement of a minor faces 10 years to life in prison. Those charged with the attempted sexual exploitation of a child faces 15-30 years in prison.