An Oak Lawn man was ordered held in custody at the Cook County Jail after he allegedly traveled to meet undercover Sheriff’s Police investigators posing as a minor victim with whom he had been sexting, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced today.
In April, Sheriff’s Police investigators assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit learned that the victim, who was under age 13, had been receiving inappropriate messages on a social media app from Francisco Nanez, 59, of the 9300 block of South 54th Court in Oak Lawn.
With consent from the family, investigators posed as the victim and continued the conversation with Nanez via text messages on a cell phone he believed belonged to the minor. During these conversations, Nanez sent sexually explicit messages and requested nude photos from the child.
On Wednesday, May 1, Nanez arranged via text to meet with investigators, who he believed was the minor victim, outside a convenience store in Berwyn at around 8:30 a.m. Nanez’s communicated that he wanted to meet the victim for sex, but upon arrival, he was instead met by ICAC investigators and taken into custody without incident.
Investigators recovered Nanez’s cell phone that was used to communicate with the victim, as well as suspect narcotics. A forensic analysis of his cell phone revealed the conversations he had with the victim and non-explicit photos of the child.
On Thursday, May 2, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved one count each of the following felony charges:
- Child Pornography/Solicitation of a Child Under the Age of 13, a Class X Felony.
- Attempt/Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13, a Class 1 Felony.
- Indecent Solicitation of a Child/Predatory/Aggravated Sex, a Class 1 Felony.
- Traveling to Meet a Child, a Class 3 Felony.
- Grooming, a Class 4 Felony.
- Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Class 4 Felony.
Nanez appeared today for an initial appearance hearing at the Maywood Courthouse where a judge ordered him to be held in custody at the Cook County Jail until his next court date on May 30.
The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the government in a court of law.
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