Sex Offender At Inwood Rec Center Took Photos Of Boys In Pool: Police

JOLIET — The Joliet Police Department issued a press release on Wednesday revealing that 61-year-old convicted sex offender Farrell Theis out of Romeoville has been arrested and released under the SAFE-T-Act on a criminal charge of child photography by a sex offender. The Romeoville man is accused of taking photos of underage boys at the Inwood Recreational Center's indoor pool.

The criminal complaint was filed on Tuesday at the Will County Courthouse, and there was a warrant out for Theis' arrest.

Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English said the incident happened about seven weeks ago. As for his criminal background, Theis was convicted on Aug. 14, 1989, of aggravated criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13 in DuPage County, English noted.

Back on February 2, 2025, at 8:57 a.m., English said officers responded to the Joliet Park District, 3000 W. Jefferson St., for a suspicious incident.

It was learned that earlier that morning, a man was suspected of taking photographs with his phone of high school age boys using the facility’s pool. The man was confronted by a staff member. It was determined that the man was an employee of a third-party vending service at the facility to replenish the vending machines.

Following an investigation into this incident, Joliet police detectives identified Theis as the suspect and that he is a convicted child sex offender.

Images were recovered from Theis’ cell phone, English announced.

Joliet's detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Theis on Monday for the crime of child photography by a sex offender. Theis was placed into custody following a traffic stop by Joliet officers in Romeoville on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.