Braidwood Sex Offender Faces Child Abduction Charge

Joliet IL

04 October, 2021

5:53 PM

Description

JOLIET, IL — Anthony Schargorodsky, a 42-year-old Braidwood convicted sex offender, is in the Will County Jail facing child abduction charges after he tried to lure a 15-year-old girl in Braidwood to get inside his car on Thursday morning as she walked to school, according to Braidwood Police Chief Todd Lyons. Lyons said the girl was not harmed. Schargorodsky was subsequently arrested by Joliet police on unrelated criminal charges of residential burglary, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass, theft and aggravated fleeing from police. Lyons told Joliet Patch on Monday that both crimes happened within hours of each other. The burglary and fleeing incident occurred during the early morning hours of Sept. 30. The child abduction incident in Braidwood around 7:50 a.m. Lyons said that Schargorodsky tried to lure the girl into the car, offering to let her drive, claiming he was having trouble seeing. "He just pulled up, she was a stranger," Lyons said. Lyons said the child abduction incident happened near Braidwood's business district. Police investigators obtained video surveillance cameras to determine the suspect's car. Schargorodsky is familiar to Braidwood police, and he was previously charged last December with failing to register his address as a convicted sex offender, Lyons said. The Illinois Sex Offender registry indicates Schargorodsky was previously convicted of criminal sexual assault by force in Will County back in 2008. He was 29 at the time of his crime and his victim was 17. Lyons said the 15-year-old girl who was approached on Braidwood's Main Street was shown a photograph of Schargorodsky, "and she identified him immediately." Braidwood police said the 15-year-old girl who was approached by Schargorodsky waited nearly eight hours before notifying police of the incident. "It's important if something like that happens to report it immediately," Lyons said. Schargorodsky resides at 939 Jordan Ave. in Braidwood. Will County Jail logs indicate his total bail is $1,135,000 between his charges from Braidwood and those from Joliet police.