A 44-year-old Chicago man is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he took an Uber to New Lenox and arrived at a Walmart to meet someone he believed was a 15-year-old girl for sex. Instead, the person he encountered was a 19-year-old woman who had posed online as a teenager, authorities said.
Bryan Marinucci was charged with traveling to meet a child and grooming after an investigation began with a suspicious-activity report on July 31, according to Shaw Local. A New Lenox police officer responded to the store, where investigators reviewed a recorded phone call that allegedly included a sexual conversation between Marinucci and the person he believed was 15.
What Illinois Law Says About The Charges
Illinois law makes it a felony to travel any distance after using electronic communication to solicit or lure someone believed to be a child for unlawful sexual conduct. The Illinois General Assembly classifies traveling to meet a child as a Class 3 felony, while the state’s grooming statute makes that offense a Class 4 felony.
Prosecutors allege the woman used an alias and a photo of herself on the MeetMe messaging app, although the profile listed her age as 19. She later told Marinucci she was younger and had listed the older age to avoid being banned, while Marinucci allegedly said he was 44, identified himself as single and accepted an Uber ride from Chicago to New Lenox, Shaw Local reported.
At the Walmart meeting, Marinucci reportedly told the officer he had come to New Lenox to go to the movies and said he did not intend to have sex. The officer pointed out that Marinucci had made sexual remarks after being told the person was 15, and prosecutors said he agreed and apologized.
The 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old male colleague reportedly operate a YouTube channel featuring videos about adults who try to meet children. A group of people later confronted Marinucci inside the store, screamed that he was a child molester and harassed him, according to prosecutors; Judge Theodore Jarz ordered Marinucci to remain in jail under the state’s pretrial detention law.
A Familiar Illinois Online-Decoy Pattern
The allegations echo other recent Illinois cases involving adults who traveled to meet people they believed were minors. In February, a Hoodline report detailed the arrest of a Glenview man accused of traveling to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old boy, who was actually an undercover detective.
A similar Lake County case reported by CBS Chicago involved a Gurnee man who allegedly drove to meet an undercover detective posing as a child. Marinucci is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges in court.
