Police: Joliet man used Facebook to find teen for sex

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Jerry Reid, aka Jerry Reed, was featured in The Herald-News' weekly warrants feature Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The 23-year-old Joliet man turned himself in to Joliet police that day on a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. | Submitted photo

Updated: February 25, 2012 8:21AM

JOLIET — Police say a 23-year-old man met a 15-year-old girl through Facebook to have sex with her last year.

Jerry L. Reid, of 1811 Glenwood Ave. in Joliet, turned himself in to police Friday to be arrested on four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

That day’s The Herald-News had included Reid’s mugshot and information in the weekly Warrants section that features people sought by police.

The teenage girl’s mother told police in October that Reid had sexual contact with her daughter.

“Detective Stephen Diehl was assigned the case and learned that the victim was 15 when Reid began contacting her through Facebook last February,” Cmdr. Brian Benton said.

The teen reportedly told Diehl she did not know Reid when he first contacted her online. She declined his initial attempts to communicate, but accepted when they continued the following month and began corresponding with him, police said.

In April and May, they allegedly had sex at a residence in Joliet. By Illinois law, the girl was too young to consent to sexual activity with Reid.

Those encounters were discovered a few months later when the teen left her social networking account open on her computer, where her mom found it.

Diehl obtained a court order for the Facebook transcripts, and a judge granted a warrant for Reid’s arrest carrying a $150,000 bond.

“During the interview of Reid, he admitted to the sexual encounter but denied knowing the victim was under the age of 18,” Benton said.