Sex predator charged with possessing shank inside Will County jail

A convicted sexual predator faces new charges of possessing a homemade knife inside the Will County jail.

On May 3, Quinton Jenkins, 38, of Joliet was charged with possession of contraband in a penal institution and attempted possession of contraband in a penal institution, court records show.

Jenkins was charged with possessing a shank while inside the county jail on April 23. The charges also alleged he “used a pencil and wrapping material to fashion a weapon” into a shank on the same date.

Since Dec. 2, 2018, Jenkins has been jailed on a $10 million bond after he was arrested on charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and unlawful restraint.

Jenkins was supposed to take an 11-year-old boy to a children’s birthday party but he molested him instead, Joliet police said. The child’s mother did not realize Jenkins had not taken him to the party until she received a call from him and learned Jenkins assaulted him, police said.

Jenkins is a sexual predator who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old in Iowa, according to the state sex offender registry.

He pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in 2015 and 2016. When he pleaded guilty to failing to register in 2016, he also pleaded guilty to stealing electronics from Community Solutions in Joliet.

Jenkins was previously charged with striking and pushing a guard at the jail on May 2, 2020.

Will County Sheriff spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer said he struck and pushed a guard because he was upset about some of the rules inmates have to follow at the jail.

The sheriff’s Emergency Response Team took Jenkins to the ground and restrained him, she said.

On Nov. 2, Jenkins filed a petition through his attorney, Safisha Thembeka, to receive video and audio records of the incident, as well as the names of the ERT members who responded.

“It is necessary for the petitioner to learn the identity of the ERT members who participated to pursue petitioner’s claim for civil rights violations, pursuant to U.S.C. Section 1983,” Jenkins’ petition said.

Judge John Anderson dismissed the case without prejudice on March 22 after the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office provided Jenkins with incident reports. Anderson ordered all pertinent video and audio records to be preserved.