Anthony D. Morales, a 32-year-old registered sex offender from Round Lake Park, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to soliciting multiple children online for sex in exchange for money and alcohol.
According to the Algonquin Police Department, detectives launched an investigation into Morales' activities on Snapchat, where he had been communicating with three juvenile females between the ages of 14 and 15. The investigation revealed that Morales had arranged to meet one of the victims at Walmart in Algonquin, nearly 30 miles from his home.
Morales is a registered sex offender who was previously convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child in Lake County when he was 23 years old. He has been held in the McHenry County Jail since his arrest and entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state's attorney's office, pleading guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
The sentence includes mandatory supervised release for four years upon Morales' release from prison, as well as compliance with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act for life. The state's attorney's office is reminding parents and guardians to remain actively involved in their children's online activity, citing apps like Snapchat that can provide opportunities for offenders to contact children anonymously.
**Background**
Morales was reported to be a registered sex offender when the Algonquin Police Department received a report of an adult male engaging in inappropriate contact with female children. The investigation identified Morales as the suspect and revealed his use of social media platforms to target children.