Lockport man loses bid to dismiss indecent solicitation of child case

A Will County judge determined prosecutors did not violate disclosure rules in a case where a Lockport man is charged with meeting someone he thought was a teen girl for sex.

On Monday, Judge Art Smigielski denied a defense motion that claimed prosecutors violated the due process rights of John Resedean, 43, by not disclosing information on the creation of a Bumble dating profile that a vigilante group used in a sting operation.

Smigielski ruled prosecutors are only required to disclose information in their possession and the vigilante group that used the dating site is not under “state control.”

In 2021, Resedean was arrested on grooming and indecent solicitation of a child charges following the sting from Save Our Siblings and an investigation by the Shorewood Police Department.

Because Bumble users are required to be 18, Dana Jakusz, one of Resedean’s attorneys, contended in a motion she needed information on how the dating profile was created by Shane Divis, a member of Save Our Siblings.

Without that information, Jakusz argued Resedean is “prejudicially impacted” because he cannot question Divis on the establishment of a “fake account for an adult female with adult photographs ‘posing as a minor child.’”

“It should be noted that it is not altogether unusual for adult men or women to lie about their age on the internet and Shane Divis’ efforts at utilizing an adult dating application with specific guidelines to solicit and entice a child abuser were a misplaced effort,” Jakusz said.

Prosecutors said they’ve made all the required disclosures to Resedean’s attorneys but did not have information on the creation of the dating profile, which is in the possession of Bumble.

There was also enough evidence to establish Resedean’s guilt in the case, prosecutors said.

Divis exchanged messages with Resedean, who arranged to meet with an underage girl at Lover’s Lane in Shorewood and “actually shows up to that location to meet her,” according to a court filing from Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Romero.

“The defendant makes admissions on a video that he came to meet an underage female. The defendant is confronted on video by Shane Divis with portions of the messages and the defendant acknowledges sending parts of the messages confronted,” Romero said.

The sting operations of Save Our Siblings and the corresponding police investigations have led to at least three convictions in Will County, including former Catholic school teacher Jeremy Hylka, 48, of Joliet.

Hylka pleaded guilty in 2023 to grooming someone he thought was a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct.