DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Elmhurst Chief of Police Michael McLean recently announced that a Cook County man has been accused of soliciting a minor for a sexual act.
Janeiro Green, 70, of Deerfield, appeared in court on Aug. 31, and was charged with one count of solicitation of a sexual act of a minor, a Class 4 felony. As the charge against Green is non-detainable under Illinois’ SAFE-T-Act, he was released from custody with conditions including no contact with the victim or anyone under the age of 18.
On Aug. 30, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Elmhurst police officers responded to a call of an unwelcome male near a gas station located in the 600 block of W. North Avenue. After speaking with the victim, officers learned that the victim, a 17-year-old female, was at the gas station pumping gas when she was allegedly approached by a man, later identified as Green. It is alleged that Green began speaking to the victim and told her using vulgar language that he wanted to have sex with her. It is further alleged that Green told the victim he could pay her and continued to talk about having sex with her. It is further alleged that after several attempts by the victim to end the conversation, she was finally able to disengage with Green by telling him she had to go to work. It is alleged that Green then gave the victim his name, phone number and email address.
While speaking with the victim at the scene, officers observed commotion from a store across the street involving Green. Officers waved Green over to speak with them. After speaking with the officers, Green was taken into custody without incident.
“I commend the young victim in this case for having the courage to do the right thing and bring this matter to the attention of authorities,” Berlin said. “We are all very thankful she was left physically unharmed. While the charge against Mr. Green is very upsetting, unless there is a threat of or infliction of great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement, it is not a detainable offense under the State’s SAFE-T-Act. In fact, the charge against Mr. Green is specifically omitted as a detainable sex offense under the Act. Cases such as this illustrate the need for the General Assembly to strengthen the Act by giving judges more discretion when determining if a defendant is a danger or threat to society. I thank the Elmhurst Police Department not only for their quick response to the initial 911 call which led to the apprehension of the defendant before he could flee, but also for their ongoing efforts in protecting our children.”
“I commend the courage shown by this minor and her mother in promptly reporting this disturbing incident to the Elmhurst Police Department,” McLean said. “Every minor in our community deserves to feel safe in public spaces and should never be subjected to inappropriate solicitations from adults. As a community, it is our responsibility to look out for one another—especially our children—by calling 911 whenever we observe suspicious activity. While the Illinois SAFE-T-Act does not permit pretrial detention for the offense alleged in this case, I appreciate the efforts of DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office to pursue accountability for the defendant’s alleged actions.”
Green’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 28, in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell.
