Antioch Man Pleads Guilty To Enticing Underage Girls Into Sex

CHICAGO, IL — An Antioch man pleaded guilty Monday to federal criminal charges for enticing underage girls to engage in sexual activity with him, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois said. Northern District Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. and Leo Lamont, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Resident Agency Great Lakes, announced 36-year-old Casey Ireland pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

A release from the attorney's office reports Ireland admitted in a plea agreement that he had sex with two 15-year-old girls from Wisconsin in the spring of 2017.

According to a release, the plea agreement states Ireland began communicating with the girls through online messaging applications, and drove to Wisconsin on May 18, 2017, and June 1, 2017 to pick up the first victim at her high school. The plea agreement also states Ireland then drove the first victim back to his home in Antioch to engage in sex acts.

On May 31, 2017, Ireland arranged to pick up the second victim at a park near her home in Wisconsin, and then drove her to his home to engage in sex acts, the plea agreement states, according to a release.

However, after the second victim informed law enforcement about her encounter with Ireland, officials said authorities took control of her messaging account, posing as the victim through messages. During the exchange, Ireland and law enforcement posing as the underage victim, arranged for the man to pick up the victim at the same park near her home to engage in another sexual encounter, according to officials. Ireland was arrested at the park on June 7, 2017, officials said.

According to a release, U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer set Ireland's sentencing for June 24.

The attorney's office credits the Antioch Police Department, law enforcement authorities in Wisconsin, and Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Dixon for their assistance in the case.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or log on to missingkids.com at any time.