Man charged with Naperville grooming of minor through Snapchat

A man from Arkansas has been charged with grooming a minor in Naperville by using Snapchat to solicit nude photos from them.

On Nov. 7, Edward Bertolini, 70, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, was charged with two felony counts of grooming. Bertolini was present in court with his attorney on that day when he was notified of the charges, court records show.

A criminal complaint filed in Will County alleged Bertolini used Snapchat to “attempt to solicit, seduce, lure or entice” a minor under 17 to distribute a nude photograph of themselves.

Bertolini was further accused in the criminal complaint of attempting to “solicit, seduce, lure or entice” the minor to commit child pornography.

The offenses were committed between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, 2021, the criminal complaint said.

Naperville Police Cmdr. Michaus Williams declined to provide information about the case “as it has domestic components attached to it.”

Bertolini was charged earlier this year with harassment and disorderly conduct but prosecutors dropped the case on Nov. 7, the same day Bertolini was charged with grooming.

The criminal complaint in that case alleged Bertolini had sent a minor an electronic message on Snapchat asking them to show them a nude part of their body.