Bail was set Thursday at $1 million for a Chicago man accused of attempting to lure an underage girl to Oak Lawn through an advertisement posted online, officials said.
Jose Figueroa, 32, appeared Thursday in Bridgeview bond court charged with indecent solicitation of a child in connection with the posting of an ad with phrases that included “in search of young girls” and “age is just a number” on Craiglist, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said an undercover Evergreen Park officer posing as a 14-year-old girl named “Taylor” made contact through the website with Figueroa, who allegedly eventually arranged a meeting.
Figueroa was arrested Tuesday in a bank parking lot in Oak Lawn after police were able match his physical description to his driver’s license and track a vehicle registered to someone who was living at his address registered with the secretary of state’s office, prosecutors said. The bank branch is within 500 feet of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 857 W. 111th St., Chicago, prosecutors said.
On Sunday, Figueroa allegedly posted the advertisement on the site’s “casual encounters” page, prosecutors said.
During the email conversation with the officer posing a child, Figueroa allegedly asked for explicit photos from the person he thought was a girl, prosecutors said.
While in police custody, Figueroa allegedly admitted to posting 200-300 similar advertisements and having 25-40 conversations with those he believed to be underage girls, prosecutors said.
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Figueroa is listed on the state’s sex offender registry for a 2011 conviction in Lake County for indecent solicitation of a child.
He is scheduled to return to court Nov. 22.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.