Man Accused of Sending Naked Photos to Teens

A Joliet man is accused of sending naked photos of himself in an attempt to arrange sexual encounters with several minors, including a Romeoville 16-year-old.

Romeoville Assistant Police Chief Steve Lucchesi said Shawn Silakowski, 34, was arrested Tuesday after investigations by local police departments revealed he had sent explicit text messages to several area teenagers.

“It’s a multijurisdictional case,” Lucchesi said, with charges stemming from investigations in Romeoville, Lockport and Manhattan.

Silakowski, of the 500 block of Columbia Street, is charged with indecent solicitation of a minor and grooming of a minor in the Romeoville case. Police said he sent explicit text messages to a 16-year-old female.

According to a Herald-News report, Silakowski was arrested Tuesday by Manhattan Police at a Joliet restaurant. In May, Silakowski allegedly sent a text message to 15-year-old boy, prompting his parents to contact police. Investigators with the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office’s online crimes unit reportedly took over the teen’s phone number and online identity and continued communicating with Silakowski, according to the report.

Lucchesi said Romeoville police also assisted Joliet and Lockport police in a search of Silakowski’s Joliet home to uncover electronic evidence.

Police said Silakowski contacted his victims by sending random text messages from his cell phone.

“He randomly sent texts to numbers,” Lucchesi said. “When people responded, he sent the images.”

Romeoville Police began investigating Silakowski in August after a 16-year-old girl told a family member she had received explicit text messages, according to Lucchesi.

In addition to the charges in the Romeoville case, Silakowski faces charges of indecent solicitation of a minor, unlawful grooming of a minor and distribution of pornographic material in the Manhattan case and indecent solicitation related to a Lockport investigation, the Herald-News reported.

Police said more charges against Silakowski could be pending.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s office is reviewing a second Romeoville case, this one involving a 15-year-old girl, Lucchesi said. That case could go before a grand jury as early as next week.

As of late Wednesday, Silakowski was being held in lieu of $22,500 at the Will County Adult Detention Center. He is due in court Jan. 4, 2012, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.