Convicted sex offender arrested on new sex charges
By BRIAN STANLEY bstanley@stmedianetwork.com October 5, 2012 4:30PM
James R. Robinson
Updated: November 8, 2012 12:01PM
JOLIET — Police say a convicted sex offender raped a 10-year-old girl and threatened to kill her family if she told anyone.
James R. Robinson, 34, was looking after the girl and another child July 20 when the attack occurred at a Joliet residence, Chief Mike Trafton said.
“He threw her on the bed, got on top of her and … she kept telling him ‘No,’ ” Trafton said.
Robinson then allegedly made threats, but a short time later the girl did inform relatives who contacted police.
Detective Tizoc Landeros was assigned to the case and arranged a victim-sensitive interview with the girl. Landeros and the Will County state’s attorney’s office spent the next months arranging other interviews as evidence was processed.
Robinson was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl in 2000 in Will County. State records categorize Robinson as a “sexual predator” who has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
On Thursday, Landeros obtained a warrant charging Robinson with predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse carrying a $1 million bond.
“We spoke with him on the phone and learned he was at 1023 Arthur Ave. where he lives with his mother,” Landeros said. “She confirmed he was there but refused to allow officers inside.”
Patrol officers set up a perimeter around the house and removed his mother and a 2-year-old girl from the residence.
“Robinson was found hiding in a crawl space under the stairs and taken into custody,” Trafton said.
Robinson reportedly denied the charges against him to detectives and was booked into the county jail around 6 p.m.
