Karl R. Fritzgerald, 49, of Bradley spent Thursday night at the Jerome Combs Detention Center after Bradley Police arrested him on alleged charges of Grooming, Solicitation to Meet a Child and Distribution of Harmful Materials to a Child yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Fritzgerald is on Administrative Leave from BBCHS after school officials learned Monday he had an inappropriate conversation with one of their students.
Section 25 of Illinois Statutes Chapter 720 defines Grooming as:
“A person commits grooming when he or she knowingly uses a computer on-line service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, a child, a child’s guardian, or another person believed by the person to be a child or a child’s guardian, to commit any sex offense as defined in Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act, to distribute photographs depicting the sex organs of the child, or to otherwise engage in any unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child.”
The charges are Class 4 felonies, each carrying a one to three-year prison term and fines up to $25,000 per charge. If convicted, Mr. Fritzgerald must register as a sex offender.
Mr. Fritzgerald is held awaiting a bond and court appearance, at Jerome Combs Detention Center.
