A Naperville man has been found guilty of sexually abusing a thirteen-year-old girl he met on SnapChat.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced yesterday that a jury has found James Nead, 30, guilty of three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony), one count of Solicitation to Meet a Child (Class 4 Felony) and one count of Traveling to Meet a Child (Class 3 Felony).
In June 2019, the victim, a thirteen-year-old girl, received a message on Snapchat from an account belonging to Nead. Nead and the victim exchanged photographs through Snapchat and several days later, Nead convinced the girl to meet with him by threatening to release the photographs she had sent to him if she did not meet him.
On June 28, the victim met Nead at a strip mall near her house and got into his car. While in his car, Nead sexually abused the victim. Later that day, the victim blocked Nead from her Snapchat account. Nead again contacted the victim through another account he created and again threatened the victim with releasing the photographs if she did not meet him again. The victim’s father contacted authorities later that day.
Mead was taken into custody the following day.
“This afternoon, a jury found that Mr. Nead sexually abused a thirteen-year-old girl he had met anonymously through a social media website,” Berlin said. “It is my hope that this very disturbing case will serve as a reminder to parents to monitor their children’s internet usage and be aware of whom their children are communicating with on social media. I commend the young victim in this case for bringing this matter to the attention of adults and for her strength and courage in confronting the man who sexually abused her.”
Nead’s next court appearance is scheduled for August 31, 2023, for post-trial motions. He faces a penalty of up to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
