Weston Opas, age 42, of Glenview, Illinois, was charged with grooming and having sex with the 16-year-old girl in Boston over the past year, authorities in Illinois said.
Investigators said Opas met the child on a gaming app. He traveled to Boston “numerous times to meet with the victim and engage in sexual acts,” the Cook County Sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Detectives arrested him at his home on Thursday, Oct. 26, after deputies received a tip from Boston police that the girl, who was missing, could be at Opa's home. She was, police said.
Police searched the girl's phone and found conversations between the two. In the exchanges, Opa admits to knowing the child's age, authorities said.
Investigators also found a gun, ammunition, and body armor, investigators said.
Child services took custody of the girl until relatives arrived in Chicago to reunite with her.
Opas is charged with:
- Traveling to Meet a Child
- Grooming
- Felon in Possession/Use of a Firearm with Body Armor
- Failure to Report Annually/Sex Offender Registry
Opas is being held without bail at the Cook County Jail, authorities say.
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