Rapist Blackmailer Fondled Child in Jewel, Tried to Rape Another Minor: Cops

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet man jailed for allegedly extorting a teenage boy for more than a year and forcing him to have sex in exchange for keeping a secret video under wraps was charged with committing additional vile and shocking acts.

Erick Rodriguez, 26, was already in jail following his arrest in February on charges of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and intimidation, contempt or ridicule. The charges were filed after a 16-year-old came forward and told police that Rodriguez had been forcing him to engage in oral and anal sex for more than a year.

Rodriguez “threatened (the teen that) if he told anyone he would show a video” of them together, police said. The teen was not certain the video even existed.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed two more felony cases. 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 allegedly groped the buttocks of a child in the Jewel on West Jefferson Street.

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.