Glen Ellyn Man Faces Child Solicitation Charges

GLEN ELLYN, IL — A Glen Ellyn man is facing charges after being accused of attempting to meet with a 14-year-old girl for a sexual encounter. Authorities say Bernardo Tello, 42, tried to meet with whom he thought was an underage girl.

According to the sheriff, Tello, of Hillside Avenue in Glen Ellyn, had a sexually explicit conversation with the supposed 14-year-old girl and planned to meet her at a restaurant, which would be followed by a sexual encounter at her house.

Authorities arrested Tello soon after he arrived at the restaurant.

The month-and-a-half-long investigation ended with felony charges of indecent solicitation of a child- aggravated criminal sexual abuse and traveling to meet a minor for Tello. If convicted, Tello faces probation or two to five years in prison.

He's being held on $40,000 bond.

"As a parent, knowing this behavior exists terrifies me," DuPage Sheriff James Mendrick said, according to the sheriff's office's Facebook post. "This is one of the reasons the MERIT Task Force was created. Cohesion and teamwork has improved DuPage County Law Enforcement and I’m proud that the Sheriff’s Office is part of this team."

"Sexual crimes are, by their very nature, among the worst of crimes, with perpetrators leaving their victims to suffer not only at the time of the assault but possibly for years to come," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. "With that in mind, I commend our MERIT Task Force for their proactive approach in scouring the Internet for those who would prey on our children just to satisfy their deviant sexual desires."