CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Authorities in north suburban Antioch said a recent arrest should serve as a warning to parents of children using social media.
Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said investigators posing as a 14-year-old boy began messaging online with their suspect, 43-year-old Douglas Bedini, late last week.
"During this time, he engaged in quite a bit of sexually explicit conversation," Guttschow said.
In just a matter of hours, Bedini agreed to meet the boy for sex.
"When he arrived, fortunately, there was no 14-year-old boy for him to be found," Guttschow said. "Instead, he ran into a whole bunch of our police officers."
Bedini has been charged with indecent solicitation of a child and sexual exploitation of a child.
Guttschow said the incident may be rare for Antioch but that's not the case in other communities.
"Parents should monitor social media," he said. "I think with the access to the internet now, parents have to be actively engaged and checking the history, seeing what their kids are using."
Bedini is being held on $500,000 bond.
