A Melrose Park man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges he arranged a meeting in Aurora with an 11-year-old girl to have sex.
Alonso Ayala, 21, was indicted recently on single counts of grooming and traveling to meet a minor for the purpose of a sex offense. He denied the charges during a Friday court appearance before Kane County Judge John Barsanti. Ayala is free on $50,000 bail.
Aurora police previously said their investigation began after a Waldo Middle School resource officer learned that the young student had exchanged several Facebook messages with Ayala and made plans to meet him. Police indicated that both Ayala and the girl each misrepresented their ages, with Ayala telling her that he was 17 years old. Over the course of two days of messaging, Ayala offered sexually suggestive comments. The girl rebuffed those advances, yet agreed to meet with him.
Ayala was arrested when he arrived in a parking lot near Jackson Street and Melrose Avenue after an investigator posing as the girl set up a meeting, police said.
Ayala missed a Sept. 16 court appearance, which prompted prosecutors to request an arrest warrant. However, Barsanti declined to issue the warrant and instead ordered Ayala to appear for Friday’s hearing. He is next scheduled to appear in court Oct. 27.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.