From the State’s Attorney:
CHICAGO MAN DETAINED AFTER ALLEGEDLY TRAVELING TO MEET MINOR AND ENGAGING IN SEXUAL CONDUCT AT HARVARD PARK
McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese announces that the Honorable Judge Mark Facchini granted the State’s petition to deny pretrial release for Milton Espino-Mejia, 25, of Chicago, Illinois.
Espino-Mejia appeared in Initial Appearance Court on September 5, 2026, charged with
- Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a Class 2 felony, and
- Traveling to Meet a Minor, a Class 3 felony.
Evidence presented at the detention hearing established that Espino-Mejia allegedly met the minor through his employment as a photographer after attending a party where he was working in that capacity.
On September 4, 2026, Espino-Mejia allegedly traveled from Chicago to meet and pick up the minor. \
The two then traveled to a public park in Harvard, Illinois, where Espino-Mejia allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor.
Evidence further established that officers from the Harvard Police Department encountered Espino-Mejia and the minor at the park.
During the ensuing investigation, Espino-Mejia allegedly admitted to officers that he had engaged in sexual conduct with the minor.
Following the presentation of evidence and arguments, Judge Facchini granted the State’s petition and ordered Espino-Mejia detained pending trial. Espino-Mejia’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 6, 2026, in Courtroom 302.
“Adults who gain access to minors through their employment have an absolute responsibility to respect the boundaries the law establishes to protect children,” State’s Attorney Freese said.
“When those boundaries are allegedly exploited for sexual purposes, our office will act aggressively to protect minors and hold offenders accountable. We commend the responding officers from the Harvard Police Department for their vigilance and intervention in this case.”
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the State bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
