Already Jailed For Rape and Intimidation, Joliet Man Adds Kidnapping to Resume: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet man already in jail for allegedly committing a string of vile and shocking acts against three different youths was hit with additional charges Friday.

Erick Rodriguez, 26, was first arrested in February on charges of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and intimidation, contempt or ridicule. Rodriguez had allegedly extorted a 16-year-old boy for more than a year, forcing the teen to have sex with him in exchange for keeping a secret video of the two of them under wraps.

Then, three weeks ago, prosecutors brought two more cases against Rodriguez.

In one, Rodriguez was charged with grabbing and attempting to rape a child in January near the corner of Buell Avenue and Nicholson Street.

Four months before that, Rodriguez groped the buttocks of a child in the Jewel on West Jefferson Street, according to the criminal complaint for the third case.

Rodriguez’s bond had already been set at $1.5 million for his first case. His bond for the attempted rape case is another million, and the Jewel groping charge carried a $50,000 bond.

On Friday, Rodriguez was charged with three counts of aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

The Joliet police failed to respond when contacted about Rodriguez’s kidnapping case. Rodriguez’s bond for the new case was not available.