File photo
An Illinois man was arrested last week on suspicion of sexually assaulting a youth from the Boston area he'd groomed online, authorities said.
The youth, who'd been reported missing, was found at his home in Glenview when the man, Weston Opas, a 42-year-old convicted sex offender, was arrested, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. He had a gun, ammunition and body armor at the time.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
After the arrest, the youth was reunited with family in Chicago after being placed into Illinois Department of Child and Family Services custody, according to sheriff's officials.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, and Massachusetts provides this list of statewide and resources for sexual assault survivors.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Opas is facing charges of traveling to meet a child, grooming, being a felon in possession of a firearm with body armor and failing to report being on a sex offender registry, officials said. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak to the charges.
Opas allegedly met the youth through an online gaming app, then moved to text messages. He went to Boston to meet the child on more than one occasion, and they engaged in sex acts, officials said.
A review of the youth's phone showed investigators that Opas knew how old they were, according to officials. Detectives tried to get in touch with the victim on Sunday, when they learned the child was staying at Opas' home, but didn't get a response, prompting to them obtain a search warrant that ultimately turned up the youth and led to Opas' arrest.
Opas was convicted in a 2004 Florida child pornography case, officials said, and was charged this September with violating sex offender laws when he was found in a school zone.
He was being held without bail as of Wednesday, according to booking information. He's due back in court in Skokie on Nov. 16.
