Algonquin man accused of luring children on Snapchat, sending them explicit videos

An Algonquin man is accused of soliciting children on Snapchat for sexual images and sending them lewd videos of himself, a prosecutor said.

Thomas Jackson, 27, is charged with possessing images of child sex abuse, a Class 2 felony; grooming; and four misdemeanor counts of distributing explicit material to a minor, a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller argued in court Wednesday that Jackson is dangerous and there are no conditions that could keep him from continuing in the charged offenses if released from jail pretrial.

Miller said Jackson had digital video depicting child sex abuse, solicited a 15-year-old child for sexually explicit images and had “conversations” with multiple children in which he asked specific questions about where they go to school, what time they get out of school and what they like to do.

Jackson’s alleged offenses make releasing him “as dangerous as it can get,“ the prosecutor said. ”If there is a will, there is a way."

Even if restricted from electronic devices and put on home confinement, which is only “returning him to the scene of the crime,” he will find a way to continue contacting children, Miller said.

Jackson’s attorney, William Bligh, disagreed. He said all electronics have been removed from the home and that, if released with conditions, Jackson would follow them. He lives with family members who are aware of the allegations and will monitor him, Bligh said, The attorney also said that, while his client allegedly asked children where they went to school, he does not know where they are.

Bligh said GPS monitoring and restrictions that would bar Jackson from going near a school could take away the concern of dangerousness.

Miller responded that those conditions won’t work because GPS will alert authorities only after he has already gone to the school, and he could easily get another electronic device.

“Given what we’re talking about, that’s not sufficient protection,” Miller said.

Judge Cynthia Lamb agreed with the prosecutor and detained Jackson in the county jail pretrial. In making her decision, Lamb referred to the allegations that Jackson solicited sexual images from a 15-year-old child via Snapchat and “obtained specific details pertaining to certain minors.” She also said that Jackson is accused of sending sexually explicit videos of himself to two 16-year-olds, one 14-year-old and a 13-year-old.

“He poses a real and present threat to the community. There are numerous children in the world” who would be in danger if he were released, the judge said.

Jackson is due in court Aug. 21.